


Michelangelo's Kink

by hummerhouse



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Kinks, M/M, Masturbation, Turtlecest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-06-11 01:07:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15304071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummerhouse/pseuds/hummerhouse
Summary: Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.Word Count: 5,964 Multi-chapter 2k3Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo.  It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity.  The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest!!~~Winnerin the TMNT Universal Reader’s Choice Awards 2018: (Mature Ballot) Most Addictive Multi-Chapter 1st Place; Most Spot-On Portrayal of Michelangelo 1st Place; Best Erotica 1st Place; Sexiest Michelangelo 1st Place; Turtle-Tastic Tcest 2nd Place; Spiciest Kink or Fetish 2nd Place~~!!





	1. Chapter 1

           They were at it again.  Michelangelo could hear them from the kitchen and instantly left the room to find them; to get closer to the argument.  He wanted to see Raph's face.

           Master Splinter was on the couch watching one of his shows and ignoring his two quarrelsome sons.  That meant Leo and Raph were in the dojo.  Mikey grinned; their best shows happened in the dojo where their dad usually let the fights continue without interruption.

           Entering the dojo quietly, Mikey stepped to one side of the door and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.  Neither of his older brothers noticed him, too caught up in their fight.

           “I say Hun’s challenging us!” Raph shouted.  “He’s thumbing his nose at us with that stunt of his!”

           “That ‘stunt’ as you call it is nothing more than what his Purple Dragons do every night,” Leo replied, clearly refusing to be riled.  “It had nothing to do with us.  We can’t chase after him every time Hun’s minions rob someone.”

           “Why the hell not?” Raph asked, sneering at his brother.  “When are ya’ gonna get off your ass and prove to him that he don’t have the run of the city?”

           It seemed like a good time to jump in with some fuel for the flames.  “Yeah Leo, why do we let Hun get away with stuff?” Mikey asked.

           Leo didn’t bother to look at him.  “Stay out of this, Mikey.”

           “Why should he stay out of it?  It affects him too!” Raph roared.  “You’re just pissed that he agrees with me!”

           Mikey was gratified to see Leo grow angrier, his dislike for having his authority questioned doubled now that Mikey seemed to have chosen sides.

           The fight continued in a circular pattern, neither brother giving ground.  It was always interesting to see the usually stoic Leonardo blow his top, but then Raphael had a knack for making that happen.

           Lately Raph had seemed to be pushing Leo a lot more, their fights growing in frequency.  That had made Mikey curious, because there really hadn’t been an appreciable change in their lives.

           Over the last week and a half there had been a fight a day.  It had gotten so routine that both Master Splinter and Donatello were ignoring the pair.  But not Mikey.  Such a radical change in the status quo was a mystery that he felt obliged to investigate.  Even if it meant playing the role of instigator.

           Leo had just made his standard argument that if Raph had so much energy to burn, he could spend more time practicing.  Raph would counter with something like ‘how about I practice on you?’ and then they’d trade blows.

           Mikey didn’t want Raph to get quite that angry.  Just angry enough.

           “What’s the point of all the practicing if we can’t go topside and put our skills to good use?” Mikey asked, once more drawing Leo’s attention.

           “Just because we have the skills doesn’t mean we should try to look for a reason to use them,” Leo snapped at him.

           “Are ya’ seriously gonna lecture how we should ‘avoid the unnecessary fight?” Raph demanded in his most sarcastic tone.  “If we followed your philosophy, Shredder would still be around and millions of lives would be in danger.”

           Leo snarled, his voice dropping to a dangerous level.  “There’s a big difference between Shredder and Hun.  Shredder was actively hunting us.  Going after him was about self-preservation.”

           “Says _you_ ,” Raph jeered.  “I think it was about saving your face.  Ya’ got your ass kicked by him and ya’ wanted payback.”

           It was a low blow, one guaranteed to push Leo’s buttons.  Leo’s enlightenment training with the Ancient One hadn’t gone on long enough to teach him how to deal with Raphael’s insults.

           “Don’t put off on me the real reason you’re so hot to go after Hun,” Leo barked.  “At least we did defeat Shredder.  For all your trying, you and Casey still haven’t even slowed Hun down.”

           “There it is, the royal ‘we’,” Raph retorted.  “Come to think of it, every time _we_ take on Hun, he manages to slide out from under.  Why is that, Leo?  Your great leadership skills ain’t good enough to take down the Purple Dragons?  Are ya’ hiding down here ‘cause you’re afraid he’ll make ya’ look bad again?”

           “I am not hiding!” Leo shouted, now thoroughly angry.  “I’m not afraid of Hun either!  What I’m afraid of is your bad judgment!”

           Bingo.  Raph had gotten Leo to yell at him.  Mikey straightened as he watched Raph’s eyes dilate.  This was what Mikey had been looking for; these new signs in Raph’s behavior.  He’d first noticed them a couple of days earlier during an argument between the two.

           “You’re the one with bad judgment!’ Raph bellowed.  “Leo the leader; can’t handle Hun, can’t handle Karai, can’t handle Bishop!  Hides in the sewers so he can avoid them all!”

           “If you want to run out there and do something stupid, be my guest!” Leo thundered, pointing at the door.

           A shudder ran over Raph’s body, imperceptible to anyone who wasn’t looking for it.  “Thank you for giving me the go ahead, _Fearless_ leader!”

           Raph spun on his heel and stomped out of the dojo.  As he passed Mikey, the younger turtle saw that in spite of being obviously furious, there was also a touch of satisfaction in Raph’s expression.

           “Don’t you dare confront Hun!” Leo yelled at Raph’s retreating shell.  “Do you hear me?”

           No longer interested in Leonardo, Mikey also left the dojo.  Leo would fume for a few minutes, and then either run through katas or sit down and meditate to calm himself.  What he wouldn’t do was to go after Raphael.

           He didn’t need to.  Despite his anger, Leo knew from past arguments that though Raph stormed out each and every time, he didn’t go where he could pick a fight.  Leo was certain that Raph would run off steam in the tunnels or on the rooftops and then return home.

           At first, Mikey had thought that’s what Raph did too.  Since noticing those interesting new tell-tale signs, Mikey had begun to have suspicions that Raph was purposely starting arguments for an entirely different reason than was usual.

           Mikey gave Raph a head-start, noting which direction his brother turned when he left the lair.  Master Splinter was still engrossed in his program and Donatello was in the service bay working on the moving van.

           When Mikey slipped out of the lair to follow Raph, he made certain that no one noticed.

           Anger made Raphael slightly less cautious than usual, but he was still a highly trained ninja.  He would be conscious of his back trail because there was always the chance that Leonardo would decide to chase him down.  These were things that Mikey was aware of as he trailed his brother, using his wiles to remain far enough back so that Raph would be confident that he was alone.

           This was the first time that Mikey had decided to see where Raph was going.  Curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, heightened by the unusual frequency of his brothers’ fights, the fact that Raph seemed to be going out of his way to start them, and his strange reaction to Leo’s loss of temper.

           Hanging back so that Raph was far enough ahead of him not to sense that he was being followed, Mikey depended on small clues to keep him on track.  The imprint of a toe, freshly disturbed dirt, rats that were just peeking out of hiding after running from an intruder, and broken cobwebs.

           Mikey was just beginning to think that Raph was simply pacing off his fury when he thought he heard his brother’s voice and stopped to get a sense of direction.

           “F . . . fuck ya’, Leo,” Raph stuttered.

           Frowning because he knew Raph couldn’t possibly be talking to Leo, Mikey crept forward.  He could hear Raph muttering and cursing, the sound coming from a side tunnel a few yards ahead of him.

           Pressing himself against the wall, Mikey carefully peered around the corner.  It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the lower light conditions, but when they did, Mikey’s mouth dropped open.

           Raphael was leaning back against the metal grate at the end of the tunnel, his eyes tightly closed while he feverishly pumped his dick.

           “Fuck ya’ and your t . . . tight ass rules,” Raph stammered, precum spurting from between his clenched fist.  “How about I sh . . . shove my fat cock d . . . down that big mouth of . . . grr . . . ugh!”

           He climaxed, curse words continuing to spill from his mouth.

           Mikey fell back quickly while his brother was still in the throes of his orgasm.  Shocked at what he’d discovered, it took a few minutes for Mikey to understand that he’d better get moving if he didn’t want to be caught.

           It wasn’t until Mikey was halfway home before he began to wrap his head around what he’d just seen.  At almost the exact same moment he also realized that he was sporting the beginnings of a huge boner beneath his shell.

 

TBC………..


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,043 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Curiosity overcame arousal as Michelangelo returned to the lair.  If a fight with Leonardo had sent Raphael scurrying into the tunnels to jerk off, how had that argument affected the older turtle?

            Mikey had assumed that Leo would use one of his tried and true methods to calm himself.  But then, he’d also expected that Raph would simply run off the head of steam he’d built up during the yelling match.  Mikey had found that he was very off base on that assumption.

            As he made his way across the lair, Mikey saw Donatello walking away from the kitchen with a cup in his hand.  Mikey was thankful that Don didn’t even glance in his direction.  He was no doubt flying on a caffeine fueled high, his mind engaged in whatever project was holding his interest at the moment.

            Master Splinter had switched to a news broadcast and likewise paid no attention to his youngest son.  Though Mikey’s erection wasn’t too painful to keep hidden away, he knew that anyone who looked closely would see the revealing bulge.

            Rather than entering the dojo, Mikey peeked through the doorway.  Leo was dancing through one of his imaginary fights, his flashing katana reflecting the overhead lights in moving prisms.

            Along with his normal focused look, Leonardo’s expression also carried a touch of frustration.  There was a savagery in his movements that replaced Leo’s usual finesse.

            Mikey had a thought that the fight Leo was playing out in his mind involved Raphael.

            “What is so interesting?”

            Jumping guiltily, Mikey turned to find Donatello standing behind him.

           “Leo and Raph had another argument,” Mikey said.  “Raph ran off.”

           “So you’re spying on Leo?” Don asked.  There was a cup in his hand, steam curling up from its depths.

           “How many is that?” Mikey countered, nodding at the cup and changing the subject.

           “I don’t keep track,” Don answered.  “Clearly you’re bored.  I can find . . . .”

           “Nope, uh-uh, sorry,” Mikey said, quickly moving around his brother.  “I’ve got my own projects.  Check you later!”

           Mikey took the stairs two at a time, climbing up to the third level of the lair.  His room was above Leo’s and around the corner from Raphael’s.  As much as he had loved the Y’Lyntian lair, in this newest place, the distance between he and his brother’s bedrooms was more of an advantage as far as privacy went.

           The image of Raphael jerking off in the tunnels was still vivid in Mikey’s head.  As he closed and locked his bedroom door, the sounds of Raph’s churring and cursing resurfaced in his memory.  Making straight for his bed, the erection that Mikey had been trying to contain for over half an hour finally escaped confinement.

           Normally Mikey preferred to prolong his self-stimulation, leisurely fondling himself and enjoying a slow climb towards completion.  Tonight he was more than excited already.

           Taking from his bedside table the lubricant he kept hidden there, Mikey poured some onto his palm and then grasped his thick shaft.  A low moan issued from his lips as he began to stroke himself from base to tip, thumbing the sensitive head of his cock before repeating the process.

           Faster and faster his hand moved, eyes closed as he replayed the vision of Raph masturbating.  It wasn’t just the fact that Raph was jerking off that titillated Mikey, but that he had been a secret observer of something so private.

           Raph would try to punch Mikey into next Tuesday if he found out he’d been seen.  That thought had Mikey panting, his imagination picturing Raph with a full hard-on chasing him around the lair.

           Mikey bit his lip to keep from crying out as he climaxed.  For a moment he continued to pump his dick, riding out the last spasms of his orgasm.

           Finally his hand fell away and his body relaxed into the mattress.  As he floated towards sleep, the meaning of the words that Raph had spoken in the tunnel suddenly clicked into place.

           Raph hadn’t just been jerking off out of angry frustration.  He had actually said he’d like to ‘shove my fat cock down that big mouth of yours’, in reference to Leonardo.

           What other sorts of thoughts had Raph been having about their oldest brother?  And more importantly, why did the idea of finding this stuff out arouse Mikey so much?

           He fell asleep pondering those questions.

           The next morning Michelangelo awoke early and bounded out of bed with a new purpose.  His mission for the day was to observe and gather information.  Until now he had been privy to Raph and Leo’s arguments only after they had begun.  Mikey wanted to see how one of them started.

           After visiting the bathroom, Mikey strolled downstairs.  A glance at Raph’s bedroom had shown him the door was shut, which meant his brother was probably still asleep.

           He found Leo seated at the kitchen table, a cup of hot tea clasped between his hands.

           “You’re up early,” Leo said as Mikey walked over to the cupboard for a bowl.

           “I went to bed early,” Mikey replied, grabbing a box of cereal and the milk.  Pouring both into his bowl, he joined Leo at the table.  “Seen Donny this morning?”

           “Not yet, but I did hear him banging on something in the service bay,” Leo said.  “He was hard at it when I turned in for the night too.”

           “That means he didn’t sleep,” Mikey said, talking around a mouthful of cereal.  “He must be building some new contraption.”

           Leo snorted his agreement.  “Don’s been keeping something covered with a tarp,” he said.  “He only does that when he wants to surprise us.”

           “That should be interesting.”  Mikey snuck a furtive glance at Leo as he tried to keep the sound of any undue curiosity out of his voice.  “What time did Raph finally get home?”

           “I don’t know,” Leo said, setting his cup down a little harder than necessary.  “He’s been going out of his way lately to try and aggravate me.”

           “Got any idea why?” Mikey asked.

           “Probably just tired of being cooped up,” Leo said, rising from his chair and going to rinse his cup in the sink.  “Spar with me?  I could use a good workout.”

           “Sure,” Mikey said, quickly shoveling the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth.

           Leo shook his head.  “You’re going to get indigestion eating that fast.”

           “Never have,” Mikey responded.  After washing his bowl and spoon, Mikey walked alongside Leo to the dojo.

           They had been at it for half an hour when Master Splinter joined them.  He watched silently as they continued to spar and then stopped them when Raph and Don arrived for their scheduled practice session.

           Don’s movements were a dead giveaway as to the fact that he hadn’t slept.  From the expression on Master Splinter’s face, it was clear that he and the genius were going to have a discussion about that after they were done.

           Raph hadn’t said more than two words since his arrival, and those two had been directed at their father.

           Muscle memory made it easy for Mikey to keep up with the moves they were practicing, which allowed him to keep a surreptitious eye on the two brothers who currently held his interest.  Leo was his normally resolute self, though he did seem to being going out of his way to avoid looking at Raph.

           It wasn’t the same for Raph though.  He had started off by ignoring his brothers, but as the session went on, Mikey began to notice that Raph’s eyes would periodically dart to Leo.  They didn’t stay on Leo for long, probably because Raph didn’t want to be caught looking at his older brother.

           Mikey found the entire thing to be highly entertaining.

           When Master Splinter pronounced the end to the day’s training and pulled Don off for a talk, Leo excused himself to go to his room and meditate.  Once he had turned away, Raph openly stared at his retreating shell.

           So as not to seem interested in his hot headed brother, Mikey grabbed a jump rope and kept to one side of the room as he exercised.  After watching Leo all of the way out of the room, Raph turned to his weight bag and began punching it.

           Raph’s lips were moving with each punch he threw.  He wasn’t talking loud enough for Mikey to hear the words, but he could imagine the epithets that were spilling from his brother’s mouth.  Whether Raph was cursing Leo again, or himself, was anyone’s guess.

           As the day progressed, Mikey made certain to be near either Raphael or Leonardo.  He noticed that while Leo interacted just as he always did with everyone else, with Raph he was slightly aloof.

           Nightfall approached and Raph seemed jittery and out of sorts.  At the dinner table, Mikey tried to talk his brothers into a movie night, but Raph merely glowered at him and Don said he had work to do.

           That earned him a mild rebuke from Leo, who reminded Don that he needed to find time to sleep.

           “I guess it’s your job now to assign us all bedtimes,” Raph said sarcastically.

           It was the first time that day that Raph had said anything directly to Leo.  His words had an instant effect as the skin around Leo’s mouth tightened and his body went rigid.

           “First off, my words were not aimed at you,” Leo said.  “Secondly, since when is my concern for Don’s welfare any of your business?”

           Raph planted his fists on the table.  “Since ya’ started pulling that fake concern crap with all of us.”

           “Boys,” Master Splinter said, a warning in his tone.

           “My apologies, Master Splinter,” Leo said immediately.

           From Raph’s expression it didn’t appear that he was ready to drop the subject, but he did sit back in his chair and turn his gaze away from Leo.

           Apparently that was enough to satisfy Master Splinter.  They ate in silence after that, Mikey dividing his attention between Raph and Leo who from their body language, were both on edge.

           When Master Splinter bade them good-night and left for his room, Leo immediately rose and began clearing the table.  Don was making some sort of calculations on a scrap piece of paper, his thoughts already a million miles away.

           Grabbing an armful of dirty dishes, Mikey trailed into the kitchen behind Leo.  A glance showed him that Raph was staring in that direction, his eyes narrowed and one hand bunched into a tight fist.

           Raph looked for all the world like someone trying to think of a reason to engage the enemy rather than a brother who knew he was supposed to be keeping the peace.

           Donatello wandered off a few minutes later.  Mikey was washing the dishes as Leo dried when Raph stomped over to stand behind them, his arms crossed.

           There was absolute silence from all three turtles.  Mikey could sense the tension, heck, he could almost _feel_ it like static hovering in the air around them.

           The impasse was finally broken when Raph barked, “Are we gonna patrol tonight or what?”

           Leo continued to dry and put away dishes, pointedly ignoring both the question and his brother.  His hip against the counter, Mikey had a bird’s eye view of both Leo’s face and Raph’s.  Leo’s expression was inscrutable, but after so many years of living with him, Mikey could see the tiny tic at the corner of one eye.

           A blind man could have read the signs of an impending explosion from Raph’s countenance.  It was suddenly clear to Mikey that every one of their nightly fights progressed in nearly the same manner, with Raph starting it.

           “I’m talking to ya’, _Leonardo_ ,” Raph said, his emphasis of Leo’s name sounding as ugly as he could manage.

           Leo carefully folded the dish towel and set it aside.  With great deliberation, he slowly turned, his eyes icy with contempt.

           Mikey stepped back.  This was certainly not his first, fiftieth, or even hundredth time being nearby when these two brothers went at it.

           This was however the first time he actively sought to be out of the line of fire.

TBC………..


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,371 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Leonardo stared at Raphael for a good thirty seconds without saying anything.  Raph in turn glared at him, refusing to back down.

            It was clear that Raph wasn’t going to drop it and just as clear that he was itching for a fight.  Michelangelo had a pretty good idea as to why, but he doubted that Leo knew.

            In a voice dripping with disdain, Leo said, “Talking implies a certain intelligent give and take.  You aren’t offering that on any level.”

            Raph growled low in his throat.  “If ya’ wanna play the insult game, I can give as good as I take.  That ain’t answering my question.  We need to be out on the streets reminding the gangs that they don’t have the run of things.”

            “You’re becoming a broken record,” Leo said.

            “Shove it,” Raph retorted.  “Just ‘cause you’re content to hide down here don’t mean the rest of us are.”

            “Staying out of sight is not the same as hiding,” Leo said.  “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re not human.  The time we spend topside should be used wisely.”

            “Paying Hun back for the shit he pulls is the best way to spend that time,” Raph insisted.  “It ain’t like we have to hide who we are from him and his goons.  They already know!”

            Leo’s jaw worked, a sure sign that he was holding himself back.  He still sounded in control as he said, “We are not in the vendetta business, Raphael.”

            “Ya’ know what I think?” Raph asked, though it was clear the question was rhetorical.  “I think you’re avoiding Hun ‘cause the last couple of times ya’ went against him ya’ got spanked.”

            “That was because you guys treated it like a game,” Leo snapped, his calm demeanor crumbling.  “When we’re out there, we have to be a team.”

            “So it’s our fault?  Ya’ ever think maybe ya’ ain’t got what it takes to lead us in one of them fights?” Raph demanded.

            “Did you ever stop to think that you questioning every order I give might be the problem?” Leo countered.

            Raph straightened, puffing out his chest belligerently.  “If your orders didn’t always include the words ‘hide’ or ‘retreat’ then maybe I’d listen to them!”

            From his expression, Mikey was sure that Leo was about to blow.  Before he had the chance, an authoritative voice sliced the air between the warring brothers.

            “That is enough!”

            Master Splinter stood just outside of the kitchen, his tail whipping dangerously, a sure sign that he was perturbed.

            “I have tried to ignore these arguments in the hopes that the two of you would find some resolution on your own,” Master Splinter said.  “It does not appear that you are doing anything more than having the exact same disagreement night after night.”

            “My apologies, Master Splinter,” Leo said.

            “Sorry, Sensei,” Raph said at almost the same time.

            “You should be apologizing to one another,” Master Splinter said.  “It is obvious that you won’t.  Therefore, we will take this to the dojo.  Come with me right now.”

            From his tone it was clear that they had no choice.  Raph and Leo trailed along behind their father, neither saying anything, but both throwing the occasional scornful glare at the other.

            They were much too intent on each other to notice that Mikey was bringing up the rear of the procession.  If he kept quiet and drew no notice to himself, he might not get booted out of the dojo.  He really didn’t want to be excluded at this point.  Mikey had a feeling that whatever happened next would be very telling.

            Master Splinter turned once he was standing in the center of the dojo.  Leo and Raph took up positions in front of him, dropping to their knees as they waited to hear what he expected of them.

            “Since talking does neither of you any good, you are going spar until you are both too tired to continue, or one of you pins the other.  You will then go to your rooms.  Is that clear?”

            “Yes, Sensei,” they said together.

            “Good.  Stand up, place your weapons against the wall, and return to face each other,” Master Splinter commanded.

            Mikey’s interest grew.  Remaining as unobtrusive as possible, he watched as his warring brothers faced one another and bowed.  As soon as Master Splinter stepped back and gave the signal, the pair flew into action.

            Right from the outset it was clear that Raphael was intent on overpowering his brother, while Leonardo’s tactics were more about finesse.  Mikey had watched them spar thousands of times over the years, but there was an underlying intensity in this bout that he’d never before witnessed.

           Raph threw an overhand left to draw Leo’s block and then tried for a kidney punch with his right. Effortlessly blocking the first, Leo caught the second strike on his forearm and forced Raph’s arm high, landing a quick punch to his gut before aiming an elbow at his face.

           Leaning back and catching the blow with his arm, Raph spun a kick at Leo’s head, which his brother easily ducked under.  Turning in a full circle, Raph came back around, swinging with his right fist.

           Leo’s hands rose to block his brother’s punch, but Raph’s leg came up again to catch Leo across his forearms.  The force pushed Leo back, but he countered with a spinning back kick that connected with Raph’s jaw.

           The brothers separated, pausing in their fight to stare at one another.  Raph moved his jaw from side to side while Leo opened and closed his right fist a few times.  Their eyes remained locked and Mikey realized that even if he did move from his hiding spot, they wouldn’t pay him any heed.

           Circling one another, the pair took up fighting stances and then Raph rushed in, throwing an overhand right.  Leo’s left hand came up to block it, and then he brought his right fist down onto the inside of Raph’s elbow.

           When Raph’s arm went down, Leo delivered a hard kidney punch and then a fast front snap kick that shoved his brother away from him.

           Raph came back in, aiming a kick at Leo’s knee which the older turtle blocked with his leg.  Leo aimed a high kick at his brother’s head, but Raph caught it and pushed it down.  Then Raph tried for a roundhouse kick of his own, but Leo danced away from it.

           The fight continued in this fashion for several minutes.  Blood seeped from a cut on Leo’s lip and dripped from Raph’s nostrils.

           Seeking to put Leo on the ground, Raph attempted a front snap kick to his brother’s plastron, but Leo’s arms caught his foot and forced it down.  In the same smooth movement, Leo dropped to the ground, his left arm bracing his body as he pivoted and tried to sweep Raph’s legs from under him.

           Anticipating the sweep, Raph jumped over Leo’s leg.  As he landed, Leo spun on his toes, coming back around and jumping to deliver a one, two kick to Raph’s chest.

           The force of the kick hurled Raph backwards and he hit the wall hard.  As Leo moved forward to press his advantage, Raph came off the wall like a rushing bull and plowed into his brother.

           Leo struck the floor but as Raph pounced, Leo brought both legs up and kicked him.  Raph stumbled back and Leo leaped to his feet to rush his brother before Raph could get his balance.

           Rather than trying to block the fist aimed at his head, Raph lifted his shoulder to take the blow and then grappled with Leo, lifting him and throwing him partway across the dojo.  Rolling over and onto his feet, Leo braced himself as Raph stalked towards him.

           As Raph swung a left at his head, Leo hit his arm and then stepped in, trapping Raph’s arm under his own and forcing it behind his back.  Raph grunted in sudden pain, coming up on his toes to counter the downward pressure.  Bringing his right hand around, Raph tried for a punch, but Leo smashed a fist into Raph’s gut which made the younger turtle cry out.

           Infuriated, Raph jammed a foot behind Leo’s ankle and shoved him off balance.  When the pressure on his arm lessened, Raph yanked it free and hooked an arm behind Leo’s head, whirling him around and throwing him to the floor.

           Leo rolled as Raph came after him, stomping down at his brother.  Crossing his arms, Leo caught Raph’s foot and pushed back as he whipped his legs around to kick Raph’s other foot out from under him.

           As Raph went down, Leo came off the floor as though shot from a cannon.  Landing atop his brother, Leo pressed his knees tightly against Raph’s sides and stabbed at pressure points beneath his brother’s arms.

           “Shit!” Raph yelled, his hands and arms instantly freezing.

           Kicking at the ground with his feet, Raph attempted to buck Leo off, but his brother was immovable.  The tableau held for several moments until Raphael stopped kicking and glared up at Leo.

           As Leonardo stared down at his brother, Mikey was surprised to see his eyes dilate and his nostrils flare.  Both combatants were breathing hard, but their expressions weren’t what Mikey typically saw after one of their fights.

           Rather than anger at being beaten, Raph wore a look of expectancy and acceptance, as though he was waiting for something else to happen and welcomed it.

           For his part, Leo seemed keyed up, excited, and just a little self-satisfied.

           The clap of Master Splinter’s hands broke whatever spell they were under and Leo swiftly released Raph.  He did not offer to help his brother stand, perhaps knowing that Raph would not have accepted his hand.

            Raph’s arms still hung at his sides as he got up.  From experience, Mikey knew it would take several minutes for the feeling to return.

            “Go to your rooms,” Master Splinter ordered, offering no other commentary.

            Leo and Raph both bowed, gathering their weapons before trudging out of the dojo.  Though they walked side by side across the lair and up the stairs to their individual rooms, neither looked at the other.

            Knowing that Master Splinter was still very much out of sorts, Mikey made certain not to draw attention to himself.  Nevertheless, as his father started out of the dojo, he stopped as he drew alongside his youngest.

            Without turning to face him, Master Splinter asked, “Have you had enough entertainment for one evening, Michelangelo?”

            “Not really,” Mikey blurted, then quickly corrected himself.  “I mean, that wasn’t really entertaining.  It’s more of a trying to figure out what’s going on.”

            “Yes,” Master Splinter said in a thoughtful manner.  “There does appear to be more below the surface than their usual disagreements.”

            “Like, by now they’d have solved whatever it was that’s eating at them,” Mikey said.

            Master Splinter nodded, then turned his head to look at his son.  “I would appreciate feedback on any insights you might glean from your observations.  It is clear that your brothers are not going to be very forthcoming.”

            “Don’t really know anything useful,” Mikey said.  He wanted to be as truthful as possible without giving away his brothers secrets.  Especially since he hadn’t figured out exactly what they were.

            “Yet,” Master Splinter said, almost as though finishing Mikey’s thoughts for him.

            “Sure, Sensei,” Mikey responded agreeably.

            It was as noncommittal a reply as he could offer and Master Splinter seemed to accept it at face value.  He walked away, going directly to his room to turn in for the night.

            Mikey waited a few minutes to make sure his father wasn’t going to put in another surprise appearance, and then headed for the stairs.  The TV array was dark, as was Donatello’s computer workstation.  Since the genius’ bedroom door was closed, Mikey figured that his brother had heeded Master Splinter’s warning and was getting some sleep.

            Going up the next flight of stairs, Mikey crept up to Raph’s closed door.  Leaning in, he pressed his ear against the door and listened.  He heard exactly what he’d expected to hear, the guttural utterances and churrs that indicated Raphael was actively jerking off.

            Interspersed between the curse words and suggestive language, the name ‘Leo’ fell from Raph’s lips repeatedly.  That meant that what Mikey had observed the night before was clearly not a one-time thing.

            Wondering how Leo was dealing with the aftermath of their fight, Mikey snuck downstairs again, bypassing Don’s room to go down to Leo’s.  Knowing how sensitive Leo’s hearing was, Mikey tiptoed up to his door, careful to stay to one side so his shadow wouldn’t be seen beneath the door.

            Mikey held his breath as he listened.  For a second no sound registered from within the room and Mikey thought his big brother might have gone to sleep.  Then he heard a low sigh.

            Biting his lower lip, Mikey took a chance and touched his ear to the wooden panel.

            A low groan rewarded his efforts.  Eyes widening, Mikey was shocked to hear Leonardo begin to churr.  Though Leo didn’t speak, the sounds that Mikey did hear were unmistakable.  Leo was pleasuring himself.

            As soon as he realized what was going on behind that closed door, Mikey started to pull away.  Something stopped him though, and he continued to listen.  He could almost swear he heard the squelching sounds of a cum slicked hand frantically pumping away on a fully erect cock.

            Mikey’s own shell began to feel tight as he listened.  It wasn’t long before the low grunts he was hearing became almost continuous moans.

            “Ugh . . . arr . . . humph . . . uh . . . uh . . . ah!  Raphael!” Leo cried out before biting off the sounds.

            Backing off from the door quickly, Mikey made for the stairs.  He was completely turned on and his room felt as though it was miles away.

            All he wanted at that moment was relief.  He’d think hard about the meaning of what he’d heard from both of his brothers after he satisfied his own desperate need.

TBC………


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,833 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Normally after a strong, healthy release Michelangelo slept really well.

            He’d fallen asleep just fine, but instead of the usual good dreams, nagging thoughts kept waking him up.  Mikey’s mind was gnawing on his new bit of knowledge like a dog worrying a bone.

            Raphael fought with Leonardo, became aroused as well as enraged, and ran off to masturbate.

            Leonardo fought with Raphael.  He too became aroused, but not because he was angry.  Something else involving Raph got Leo’s juices flowing.

            That’s really what was bothering Michelangelo enough to interfere with his sleep.  He wasn’t sure what it was about fighting with Leo that got Raph so hyped up, but at least Mikey knew it was the fighting that did it.

            With Leo there was still a big mystery.  Was it the physical fight with Raph that excited him?  Was it winning that fight that turned him on?  Was it something else entirely?

            Mikey finally decided that what he needed was empirical data.  Like Donatello was always saying, observe the phenomenon, form an idea about what you’ve observed, test your idea with an experiment or two to see if its correct, record the results, and analyze the results to arrive at a conclusion.

            The result of his experiment would be Mikey’s empirical data.  Mikey smiled up at the ceiling.  Don would be surprised to know how much of the stuff he said was actually understood and retained by his little brother.

            Right now the problem was in finding a chance to observe the phenomenon again.  Leo and Raph had just gotten into big time trouble with Master Splinter for their fighting.  If they stopped arguing, Mikey wouldn’t be able to find out why his two brothers suddenly seemed to have awakened sexual desires in each other.

            A fleeting thought went through Mikey’s mind that maybe it was wrong for siblings to be thinking that way, but then that made him just as guilty.  Just imagining Raph stroking his own dick, head back, mouth open, eyes squeezed tight made Mikey hard as a rock.  The sounds Raph made as he masturbated were enough to bring Mikey right to the edge.

            Was he a sick puppy for not wanting Raph to stop?

            Maybe so, Mikey thought as he turned over and burrowed into his pillow to get more comfortable.  He decided he was fine with that.  What else did they have, what else did _he_ have?  He was a teenage mutant turtle with raging hormones and so were his brothers.

            Mikey also decided that he was going to find a way to get his two brothers arguing again.  He’d just have to figure out how to fan those flames in such a way that Master Splinter didn’t know that’s what he was doing.

            A switch kicked over in Mikey’s head as soon as he reached his decision and he was finally able to fall soundly asleep.

            When Mikey awoke the next morning he was filled with a sense of purpose.  He’d realized that he had to make certain the phenomenon he meant to observe was a singular one.  After all, in the last two weeks the only family member Raph had gotten angry with was Leo.  Suppose Raph’s reaction wasn’t to Leo in particular, but to anyone who crossed him?

            If there was one thing Michelangelo was good at, it was aggravating Raphael.  After all, that had always been one of his favorite pastimes.  Since Mikey knew what really annoyed his brother, he planned to goad Raph hard enough to make him lose his temper.  Then Mikey would see if being pissed at him would send Raph into the tunnels.

            Mikey pushed himself into a seated position and slowly eased his legs out from under the blanket.  At some point during the night Klunk had left his small cat bed in favor of sleeping on top of Mikey’s feet.  Not wanting to disturb his little pet, Mikey climbed out of bed slowly and then geared up.  Before leaving the room, he stroked Klunk’s head, earning himself a purr but not actually waking the cat.

            As he expected, Mikey saw Donatello first.  His genius brother was seated in front of his bank of computers, his eyes fixed on one of the screens.  When Mikey called out a good-morning to him, Don barely acknowledged the greeting.

            In the kitchen, Mikey touched the teapot and found that it was still warm.  He could hear Master Splinter calling out instructions from inside the dojo and the answering _kiai_ was definitely Leo’s.  Walking around to the end of the counter, Mikey looked up and saw that Raph’s bedroom door was still shut.

            Quickly darting to the cupboards, Mikey took out the box containing Raph’s favorite breakfast cereal.  There was just enough left for a bowlful, which suited Mikey’s purposes perfectly.  Taking out the bag of pop rocks he’d brought with him from his candy stash, Mikey dumped them into the box and then shook it to distribute the little rocks evenly.

            He was just putting the box away when he heard Raph’s door open.  Mikey very quickly dashed to the refrigerator and took out the box of leftover pizza.  Tossing it onto the kitchen table, Mikey poured out a glass of orange juice and sat down.  When Raph entered the kitchen a couple of minutes later, Mikey was munching on a slice and reading the comic page from the newspaper that Leo had left behind.

            “’Morning, Raph,” Mikey said without taking his eyes from the paper.  “Do you think Don got any sleep last night?”

            “Probably not enough,” Raph said, grabbing a bowl and spoon before retrieving his cereal.

            He set the bowl on the table and yawned widely as he poured cereal into it.  Half asleep still, he didn’t notice the little raspberry colored candy pieces mixed into the cereal.

            When Raph turned his back to get the milk from the refrigerator, Mikey lowered his paper enough to see over it.  Raph sat down before opening the milk jug and pouring milk over his cereal.

            As soon as the milk touched the pop rocks they did exactly what they were advertised to do - they popped.

            Startled, Raph sprang up from his chair, knocking it over in the process.  “What the fu . . . ?”

            It was hard for Mikey to contain his mirth.  Hand over his mouth, he snorted out his laughter, watching Raph’s face redden in anger.

            “At least now you don’t have to add any sugar,” Mikey said quickly.

            “I never add sugar and ya’ know it, ya’ little shit,” Raph said.  “I should dump this on your head.”

            Mikey sprang from his chair, snatching up the last slice of pizza before darting out of Raph’s reach.

            “Enjoy your cereal!” Mikey called out as he ran towards the dojo.

            He could hear his brother cursing as he paused outside of the dojo in order to finish his pizza.  One prank wasn’t enough to set Raph off, but it was the first in a salvo that Mikey intended to unleash.

            Mikey was early to practice, earning approving looks from Master Splinter and Leo.  If they’d known why he’d arrived early he wouldn’t have received such favorable glances.

            When Raph showed up he scowled at Mikey, but was otherwise calm.  Leo had to step out of the dojo in order to call to Don, who arrived a couple of minutes later.

            Master Splinter had them pair off to spar, which suited Mikey just fine, especially when he was told that he’d be fighting Raphael.  Since his main project for the day was Raph, Mikey was unusually focused, and that spelled bad luck for his hot headed brother.

            Nothing rattled Raph more than when Mikey taunted him during a fight.  Making certain to be especially acerbic in his comments, Mikey told Raph that he was slow and clumsy, that his moves were predictable, and that he couldn’t hit the side of a barn.

            The running commentary got to his brother exactly as Mikey expected it would.  As Raph grew angrier, his movements became sloppy and predictable.  Mikey took advantage of every mistake, dropping Raph several times before Master Splinter finally called an end to their contest.

            As practice drew to a close, the four brothers kneeled before their father to await his critique.  He admonished Donatello for seeming distracted, told Leonardo to work on his counter attack, and spoke to Michelangelo about watching his footwork.

            Then he sighed and turned to Raph.  “My son, you have such raw power and incredible technique, yet you allow your temper to defeat you.”

            “If Mikey would just shut up . . . .” Raph began.

            “You should not even hear it,” Master Splinter snapped, interrupting him.  “As his brother you have been subjected to his fighting style for years.  His words should no longer penetrate your focus, yet I am at a loss to understand why you allow them to annoy you.  In a fight, Michelangelo’s taunts are but another weapon in his arsenal, one that you must learn to defend against.”

            “Yes, Sensei,” Raph muttered.

            “You are all excused,” Master Splinter said, after giving Raph a final, long look.

            The cereal escapade had annoyed Raph, but getting his butt handed to him first by Mikey, and then by Master Splinter had raised the heat index to boiling.  An extra push or two would set off enough fireworks for Mikey to learn what he wanted to know.

            Usually Raph would take to his punching bag to work off his frustration.  That was the last thing Mikey wanted him to do, so he made a beeline for the weight bench, which sat next to it.  Plopping down on the bench, Mikey began to do bicep curls with a seventy pound dumbbell.

            Mikey made certain that he was facing the punching bag.  A little while later when Raph approached his bag, he found his little brother staring directly at him.

            Raph’s glare earned him a cheeky grin.  Trying to ignore his brother, Raph hit the bag a few times and then glanced at Mikey, who winked at him.  When Raph turned his shell to Mikey and tried to continue his workout, Mikey began humming the theme from ‘Rocky’.

            Whirling angrily, Raph demanded, “What the fuck is wrong with ya’?”

            Wearing his most innocent expression, Mikey said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I am absolutely perfect.”

            With a low growl, Raph turned back to his bag.  Mikey uttered not a sound for a full minute, waiting for Raph to start to settle into his routine.

            “I mean, I did wax your sorry shell during practice,” Mikey said.

            Raph’s shoulder’s tensed but he didn’t turn.  “Shut up, Mike,” he said.  “You’re getting on my last nerve.”

            “Loser,” Mikey mumbled sotto voce.

            Spinning, Raph strode towards the younger turtle and snatched the dumbbell from his hand, throwing it onto the floor.  Mikey stood up quickly but made no attempt to flee, the way he normally did when pranking Raph.  Instead he faced off with his thoroughly angered brother.

            “I swear, if ya’ don’t stop screwing with me I’m gonna smack ya’ into next week!” Raph shouted.

            “You and what army?” Mikey challenged.

            Raph’s hands clenched into fists.  “I mean it, Mike!  I’ve had enough of your shit!”

            “Then why don’t you do something about it?” Mikey asked.  “Afraid of a repeat match?”

            For a moment it looked like Raph was going to hit him, but then he checked himself.  Mikey could almost see Raph’s control returning.

            “You’re bored,” Raph said.  It was a statement rather than a question.  “Ya’ always fucking do this when ya’ got nothing better to do.  Ya’ listen to me, Mike.  I ain’t your personal entertainment committee.  Leave off messing with me.”

            Ready with a snappy comeback, Mikey hesitated when he caught movement from the corner of his eye.  Leonardo had made a sudden appearance.

            “Mikey, stop annoying Raph,” Leo ordered.

            A wild gleam flared in Raph’s eyes and he spun on his older brother.  “I can fight my own damn battles!”

            “Why do you have to fight at all?” Leo asked in a deceptively mild tone.

            Mikey thought to himself that Leo couldn’t be baiting Raph, not after being rebuked the night before by their father.  But Leo didn’t walk away to avoid an argument and from his stance it appeared that he was digging in.

            Raph seemed to read something in Leo’s body language as well.  There was a perceptible change in Raph’s demeanor and his attention turned completely away from Mikey.  In fact, Mikey might not have been in the area at all as far as either of his brothers were concerned.

            “’Cause his brains are all in his fists,” Mikey said, hoping to draw Raph’s notice back to him.

            He mightn’t have spoken at all as far as Raph was concerned.  Leo’s presence eclipsed everything else and in that moment, Mikey realized that he’d gotten the answer to his experiment.  Raphael was only going to really fight with Leonardo.

            Raphael really only _wanted_ to fight with Leonardo.

            Michelangelo was merely a distraction and an annoyance.  Though he might actually mange get Raph mad enough to try and pound him into the dirt, Mikey wasn’t going to be the reason Raph sprang a woody.

            “I knew it,” Raph said, giving Leo the dirtiest of looks.  “Ya’ got a yellow streak running down the back of your shell.  That’s why we ain’t been topside.”

            For a moment, Mikey felt a slight disappointment that Raph was only interested in Leo, but that was just his vanity.  Since what he mostly wanted was a repeat of the phenomenon he’d already seen a couple of times, Mikey decided to fan the flames.

            “Or maybe Leo’s worried you can’t hold up your end of a fight,” Mikey said, putting a touch of a sneer into his voice.  “He spanked you last night and I kicked your butt today.”

            Normally Leo wouldn’t have rubbed something like that in Raph’s face, but he clearly didn’t appreciate Raph’s intimation that he was a coward.  “Is that the problem, Raph?  Are you over compensating because you’re feeling inadequate?”

            “Ya’ want a rematch asshole?  ‘Cause we can throw down right here, right now, without Master Splinter breathing down our necks!” Raph yelled.

            Mikey was very glad that in this new lair Master Splinter’s room was so far away.  They were at a crucial juncture and he didn’t want any interruptions.

            Leo’s posture changed in response to Raph’s challenge.  Sliding a foot back, he turned his body sideways to Raph’s, and lifted his arms defensively.

            “Bring it on, hot head,” Leo challenged.

            “Careful what ya’ wish for, Splinter Junior,” Raph retorted before leaping at his brother.

            The pair hit the floor, grappling with each other for dominance.  Rolling around, they punched, jabbed, and wrestled, both of them snarling like wild things.

            There was absolutely no finesse to their fight, no technique, no skill whatsoever.  To Mikey it looked like they’d both digressed into some sort of an animalistic state.

            “What the heck is going on in here?  Mikey, why are you just standing there?”

            Mikey turned to find Donatello coming towards him.  The sounds of fighting had apparently drawn him up from the service bay.

            “Stop it before Splinter sees you!” Don reprimanded in a loud voice.

            The words had barely left his mouth when Leo managed to plant his foot squarely into the center of Raph’s plastron.  His hard kick sent Raph flying right into the tide pool.

            Leo was on his feet by the time Raph surfaced, irate and spluttering.  Ignoring him, Leo looked at Don and said, “Sorry, Donny.  You’re right.  Why don’t I help you with whatever you’re working on?  I could use a break.”

            From his tone one would have thought he was chagrined, but Leo’s behavior belied that.  If anything, he seemed to be preening himself, going so far as to give Raph a self-satisfied glance while he was walking away with Donatello.

            “Fucking prick!” Raph shouted at his brother’s carapace.  “This ain’t over, not by a long shot!”

            Heaving himself out of the pool, Raph angrily yanked his headband off and wrung it out.  He was so mad he was quivering, but Mikey could see that his tail was stiff and there was a slight bulge in his crotch.

            Mikey quickly lifted his eyes so he wouldn’t be caught staring at that particular area of Raph’s anatomy.  He was just in time because Raph looked up and glared at him.

            “What the fuck are ya’ looking at?” Raph asked.

            “Nothing,” Mikey said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture.  “Not a thing.”

            “I need some air,” Raph said, scowling at his brother.  “If Leo wants to know where I went, tell him to shove it up his ass.”

            With that, Raph strode out of the lair.  Mikey counted to ten slowly, and then followed him.

TBC…………..


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,421 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Michelangelo had grown up watching Leonardo and Raphael battle each other for dominance.  It was a dance they did with growing frequency as they got older.

            Could it be that the dance had been leading up to this, whatever _this_ was?  Mikey wanted to know.  Mikey needed to know.  Because maybe if this was real, then there was a chance . . . .

            It was way too early to be thinking along those lines, Mikey told himself.  _Don’t get ahead of yourself._ In a proper experiment one didn’t make assumptions.

            Mikey had trailed Raph through the tunnels, keeping far back so that his brother wouldn’t sense his presence.  Low groans told Mikey that Raph had found a place to hide so that he could pleasure himself.

            After the dunking in the tide pool, Raph was soaked to the skin.  He should have been too cold and uncomfortable to even have lascivious thoughts, much less to act upon them.

            From what Mikey was hearing, such was far from the case.  Anger equaled arousal, no matter what the preceding conditions were.

            _“Correction,”_ Mikey thought to himself.  _“Anger with Leo equals arousal.”_

            Now Mikey knew he could hack off Raph and not get the same reaction.  It appeared that Raph did get horny every time he argued with Leo, but what about Donny?  Did Raph get hot and bothered after an argument with the family genius?

            _“Who am I kidding?”_ Mikey thought, grinning.  _“Raph never gets pissed at Donny.  Nobody gets pissed at Donny.”_

            Raph’s quiet moans as he jerked off now turned to faint utterances, Leo’s name falling from his lips.  It was a good indication that he was close to peaking and Mikey wanted to watch.

            Easing his way along the tunnel, Mikey peeked around the corner and spotted Raph.  His brother sat on the ground, his carapace propped up against the wall as he masturbated.

            Eyes closed, Raph ranted about Leo, spittle flying from his mouth as he called his older brother every name in the book.  His hand worked furiously over his thick shaft, pumping his cock with almost the same ferocity he exhibited in a fight.

            Mikey was entranced with the scene.  Every time the head of Raph’s cock disappeared in his palm, Mikey felt his own dick pulse.  Raph’s chest was heaving, his curse words interspersed with panting gasps.

            “Asshole,” Raph muttered.  “Bet ya’ th . . . think your dicks bi . . . bigger than mine.  Why don’t ya’ prove . . . prove it Leo?  Show me . . . show me your cock!  Come on, Leo!  Fuck . . . Leo!”

            On that last note, cum spurted from Raph’s cock.  The release was so strong it looked like a small fountain spraying up from between Raph’s clenched palm.

            Mikey’s penis tumbled into the open and he lurched back with a gasp.  Freezing, he waited for the tell-tale sounds of Raph coming to investigate the noise.  When that didn’t happen, Mikey figured that the rush from Raph’s orgasm was still pounding in his ears.

            As quickly and silently as he could, Mikey crept away from Raph’s hiding place and went in search of one of his own.  There was no way he could return to the lair until he took care of the stiff problem swinging between his legs.

            Finding a spot in a dark tunnel far removed from Raph’s, Mikey leaned against the wall and began to jerk off.  In his mind he pictured Raph daring Leo to show him his cock.  That’s what Raph had said wasn’t it?  Just before he climaxed?  He wanted to see Leo’s dick.

            Just the thought of those two whipping out their cocks for each other took Mikey over the edge.  With a grunt he shot his load onto the dirt, continuing to pump his shaft for a full minute until he had completely emptied himself.

            Breathing heavily, Mikey stayed where he was, hand covered in cum and cock hanging in the open.  The cool air started to get uncomfortable, so Mikey carefully tucked his dick away.

            Finding a spot where rain runoff came through a storm drain, Mikey washed his hands and cleaned the places on his body that were dotted with cum.  Satisfied that the signs of what he’d been doing were gone, Mikey headed back to the lair, hoping to arrive before Raph.

            There were no signs of the hot head when Mikey got back.  His first thought was to grab some lunch, but then curiosity over Leo’s whereabouts sent him in search of the leader.

            Mikey found Donatello in the service bay, but Leo wasn’t with him.  Taking a seat on the stairs, Mikey watched as Don, who stood on the hood of the moving van, tinkered with the laser cannons.

            He waited until Don looked up and noticed him to ask, “Where’d Leo go?”

            “To his room to meditate,” Don answered.  Eyeing Mikey, he asked, “Were you following Raph?”

            “Why would I follow him?” Mikey countered so that he could avoid telling a direct lie.  Changing the subject quickly, he pointed at a large, tarp covered lump in one corner of the service bay and asked, “What’s under that?  Is it your new project?  Can I see it?”

            “That is none of your beeswax,” Don said.

            “Did you show it to Leo?” Mikey asked.

            “No I did not and anyway, he wasn’t interested,” Don said.  “He only stayed long enough for Raph to vanish to wherever he goes after they fight before he went up to his room.”

            Mikey did not want Don to start talking about how much their brothers fought.  “You know, I could always peek under that tarp when you’re not around.”

            Hopping down from the hood, Don opened one of the van’s side panels.  “You’d better hope that you don’t,” he said without looking at his brother.  “Remember what happened the last time I caught you messing with one of my projects?”

            “How could I forget?” Mikey asked.  “I still have the scar.”

            “I did not lay a finger on you,” Don said, turning to wave his wrench at Mikey.

            Mikey grinned and flattened a hand on his chest.  “It’s an internal scar, bro’.  You marked me for life.”

            “Unless you want two scars on your psyche, you’ll stay away from my things,” Don warned good-humoredly.  Then he sobered.  “Why didn’t you stop them from fighting earlier, Mikey?  You’ve been picking at Raph all day, were you purposely starting something?”

            “Why would you even think that?  And besides, what makes you think I could do anything about it?  The only reason they stopped was ‘cause Leo got the upper hand and tossed Raph into the tide pool to cool him off.  They sure didn’t stop because you were yelling at them,” Mikey said.

            “I saw the expression on your face when I walked up on that fight,” Don said.  “You looked like you were enjoying it.”

            Mikey shrugged.  “Well, it was kinda entertaining,” he admitted.  He waved a hand when Don opened his mouth.  “Don’t bother lecturing me about my juvenile behavior.  Raph already called me out for being bored.  I’m not bored, I’m going stir-crazy.”

            “Maybe that’s what’s wrong with Leo and Raph too,” Don mused.  “We have been confined down here for quite a while.  Raph has certainly mentioned it enough.”

            “For all his ‘change is good’ talk, I don’t think Leo is ready to chance having Karai find our home again,” Mikey said.

            Don turned back to his work.  “I’m not too keen on moving again either.  I’ve spent hours trying to re-create the schematics and project notes from my old lab, not to mention all of the other important things I lost.”

            “So you’re on Leo’s side on this,” Mikey said.  “Better not let Raph hear that, he might get mad at you.”

            “I’ve already told Raph that I think we should maintain a low profile for a while longer,” Don said, grunting as he loosened a bolt.  “He told me to remember that I’d said that the next time I need some things from the junk yard.”

            “He didn’t yell at you?” Mikey asked.

            Don glanced at him.  “Why would Raph yell at me?  I wasn’t arguing the point, just stating my opinion.  When he voices his, I listen.  Raph and Leo fight because neither of them is actually listening to the other.”

            “They both want to be right,” Mikey said, thinking about Don’s point.

            “They both want the other to _think_ they’re right,” Don said.  “About something anyway.  It’s called respect.  And while I do think they both trust and respect each other, neither of them talk as if they do.”

            “You’d almost think they enjoyed butting heads,” Mikey said, watching Don carefully.

            “It seems to be their standard for communicating,” Don said, appearing unconcerned.  He walked over to one of his work tables and began tossing some things into a box.  “Not my problem and it shouldn’t be yours either, as long as their fighting doesn’t bring the wrath of Master Splinter down on all of us.  I’ve got too much to do.”

            He hefted a large chunk of solid metal with apparent ease, moving it to where his acetylene torch sat.  Mikey found himself admiring the way Don’s muscles rippled, wondering if Don could actually beat Raph in a weight lifting competition.

            The muscles on Don’s legs were pretty defined as well, Mikey noticed.  The work that Don did had made his hands rough and strong, which meant he had a really nice grip . . . .

            Mikey shook his head to dislodge the ideas that were trying to climb inside his brain.  He was already depraved enough for wanting to encourage two of his brothers to continue having sexual thoughts about each other.  Donatello was a perfectly innocent bystander.

            Standing up, Mikey said, “I’m gonna get a sandwich.  You want one?”

            “Um, sure,” Don said absently, his mind already a thousand miles away.

            In the kitchen, Mikey opened the refrigerator and took out the tray holding the leftover turkey.  Setting it on the counter, he peeled back the plastic wrap and began slicing.

            While he worked, Mikey contemplated the words Raph had used while masturbating.  Both of the times that Mikey could actually hear his utterances, they had involved Leonardo being in some sort of sexual situation with him.

            Raphael seemed fixated on having carnal knowledge of Leo.  It was harder to pin down what Leo thought about while jerking off, other than it somehow involved the brother wearing the red mask.

            _“Well”,_ Mikey thought, correcting himself, _“at least once it was about Raph.  I’ve only heard him spanking the monkey one time.  That’s not enough of a sample to be a demonstrable phenomenon.  Ha!  If only Donny could hear me now.  I’ve got the science speak down pat.”_

            Chuckling, he retrieved the bread and a couple of plates.  He was heading back to the refrigerator for the condiments when he saw Raph returning from the tunnels.

            Raph stopped to look around, clearly searching for someone.  It was so obvious that Mikey couldn’t resist calling out, “He’s in his room.”

            “What makes ya’ think I give a fuck where Leo is?” Raph snapped, glaring at Mikey.

            Wearing his most innocent expression, Mikey said, “Leo?  Sorry, I thought you were looking for Master Splinter.  Want a sandwich?”

            Raph huffed and didn’t bother to reply.  Using the stairs on the opposite side of the lair from where their bedrooms were, Raph avoided going past Leo’s door.  Arriving in the TV room, he plopped down on the couch.

            The television array flickered to life and then Raph turned up the volume.  From the sounds, Mikey could tell he was watching a mixed martial arts match.  After a couple of seconds, he turned the volume up even louder.

            It didn’t need to be so loud and Raph normally didn’t turn the sound up that high.  Clearly it was an attempt to aggravate Leo and possibly spark some sort of reaction from him.

            Mikey knew right then that he’d been correct in believing that Raph was fixated on Leo.  In fact, it was starting to look as though that was the only thing Raph thought about.

            Turning from the refrigerator with his hands full, Mikey nearly plowed into Leo.  His brother deftly caught the mayonnaise jar that had slipped loose when Mikey jerked to a stop.

            “Shell!  Give a guy a heart attack, why don’t you?” Mikey griped.

            “If you were more aware of your surroundings, I wouldn’t have surprised you,” Leo retorted.

            Setting the rest of the fridge supplies on the counter, Mikey thought, _“Too bad you don’t know just how aware I am.”_

            Out loud he asked, “Want a sandwich?  I’m making one for Donny.”

            “Sounds good,” Leo said.  “Make it two, would you?”

            “Okay.”  Mikey took bread from the loaf while Leo retrieved another couple of plates.

            Lining bread up on the plates, Mikey opened the mayonnaise.  As he was spreading some on the first slices of bread, Leo said, “No mayo on one of them.  Let me get the mustard.”

            The only one who preferred mustard on turkey was Raph.  Mikey made no comment as he accepted the mustard from Leo and finished preparing the sandwiches.

            Leo thanked him and took two plates, one of which held the mustard turkey sandwich.  Knowing that Don was too preoccupied to come looking for his lunch, Mikey watched Leo take the food upstairs to the TV room.

            Needing to know what was going to happen next, Mikey climbed the opposite set of stairs and then proceeded up to the ramp that led to his room.  From there he had a bird’s eye view of his brothers.

            Leo had taken a seat on the chair next to the couch, setting the plates on the coffee table.  After a minute, he pushed one of the plates in front of Raph, but didn’t say anything.

            Balancing the other plate on his knees, Leo began to eat his sandwich, his eyes on the television screen.  He had taken three bites when Raph picked up the offered sandwich and began to eat.

             A tiny, almost imperceptible smile lifted the corners of Leo’s mouth.  If Mikey hadn’t been staring right at him, he might not have seen it, or recognized a touch of smugness in that smile.

            Eyes gleaming as he observed this remarkable tableau, all Mikey could think was, _“Curiouser and curiouser.”_

 

TBC……..


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,831 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created by the very gifted Puparella  
> 

            After witnessing the ‘sandwich episode’ as Michelangelo liked to call it, he delivered Donatello’s lunch and then took his own up to his bedroom.

            Mikey sat on his bed, leaning up against wall with a notebook propped against his raised knees.  He tapped a pencil against his lip as he studied the chart that he’d been creating.

            On the nightstand were the remains of his sandwich and a bag of chips.  Mikey had decided that it was high time he began to make notes of his observations.  It was the correct scientific procedure.  Don was always scribbling notes about his experiments, so Mikey figured he should do the same.

            The chart showed not only the actual fights that Leo and Raph had gotten into, but also the other out of character behaviors between the two.  There were probably more of them than Mikey had viewed, but he’d make do with what he’d seen with his own two eyes.

            He noted times of day, who was present, and what had occurred immediately afterwards.  This included when and where both Raphael and Leonardo masturbated, as well as what they’d said.

            Absently reaching for a chip, Mikey tossed it into his mouth as he contemplated his observations.  Something was niggling at the back of his mind, some clue that would take him a step closer to what motivated his brothers.  He just couldn’t see it.

            Klunk jumped onto the bed and butted Mikey’s hand, seeking attention.  Shifting his eyes from the pages of his notebook, Mikey scratched behind the cat’s ears and then offered him a small piece of leftover turkey from his sandwich.

            Taking it from his hand, Klunk dropped it onto the bedspread and stared at it a moment before deigning to sample the meat.  Mikey watched the cat chew the small piece of turkey and then leave the masticated remains on the bed.

            “Eww, why do you _do_ that?” Mikey asked, using a tissue to swipe up the mess.

            Ignoring him, Klunk began to bathe himself as though he’d just consumed a seven-course meal.  Shaking his head at the vagaries of cats, Mikey turned his attention back to his notebook.

            It was then he noticed what might be a pattern to Leo’s behavior.

            Sitting up straight, Mikey reviewed the various scenes that had taken place between his two brothers.  In each instance where Leo got the upper hand in a fight, or when he’d won an argument, or just simply gotten Raph to comply with an order, that little smug smile had appeared at the corner of Leo’s mouth.

            Leo wasn’t trying to avoid confrontations with Raph.  In fact, he seemed to be going out of his way to be in situations that would absolutely lead to fights.

            It wasn’t the fighting that was doing it for Leo, it was the winning.

            No, not quite that either.  Something else.  Something more.

            With a sigh of frustration, Mikey tossed the notebook to the side.  His brain hurt.  He had no idea how Don could spend hours studying stuff.  Trying to follow Don’s example and use the scientific approach was going to give Mikey a brain aneurysm, he was sure of it.

            Deciding that he’d been cooped up in his room for long enough, Mikey hopped out of bed.  Klunk promptly crawled onto the spot he’d vacated and curled into a furry bundle.

            “Thanks for the help, little buddy,” Mikey said.  Klunk’s ear twitched.

            Mikey started to leave the room and then remembered his notebook.  It wouldn’t do to leave it lying around, so he carefully tucked it under the mattress.  Granted, his brothers normally didn’t invade the privacy of each other’s domains, but he wasn’t taking chances.

            Taking his plate to the kitchen, Mikey washed, dried and put it away before attempting to locate his family.  Master Splinter had wrested control of the television array away from Raph and Leo and was watching one of his shows.  Leo sat nearby reading a book.

            Since the other two didn’t appear to be in their rooms, Mikey trotted down to the service bay.  He wasn’t surprised to see Raph working on some sort of upgrade to the moving van alongside Donatello.

            Just for a second Mikey froze.  The pair were side by side, their bodies touching as they leaned into the engine.  A very foreign feeling crept over Mikey and he had to squelch the urge to yell at Raph to get away from Donny.

            Mikey pinched himself.  Hard.  Then he walked over to join them.

            “What’cha doing guys?” Mikey asked, managing to sound both curious yet indifferent.

            Raph continued working but Don’s head came up.  There was grease smeared across his forehead and on the side of his face near his mouth.  Mikey suddenly had the urge to remove that smear with his tongue.

            _“This stuff between Raph and Leo is affecting my brain,”_ Mikey thought.

            “We’re trying to figure out why the engine nearly stalls when I give it the gas,” Don said.  “Could be a fouled fuel pump, a clogged fuel line, a problem with the throttle . . . .”

            “Did you change the fuel filter?” Mikey asked.

            Raph growled.  “Of course he did, lame brain,” he said, his voice echoing inside the engine space.

            Since that was the extent of his vehicle knowledge, Mikey wasn’t sure what else he could offer.  It irked him that Raph could be helpful but he couldn’t.

            “I really don’t want to have to drop the engine,” Don said worriedly. 

            “Tell me what I can do to help and I will,” Mikey offered.

            Pulling his head back and straightening up, Raph glared at him.  “Ya’ can stay out of our way, that’s what ya’ can do.”

            Irrational anger flared and Mikey snapped, “Just ‘cause you’re pissed that Leo won’t let you out of the lair doesn’t mean you can take it out on everyone else.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” Raph asked angrily.

            “Master Leo grounded you,” Mikey retorted with a sneer.  “You’ve been bad and aren’t allowed outside.”

            Raph’s fist clenched.  “Leo ain’t my Master,” he shot back.  “Why don’t ya’ shut it before I shove part of this engine down your throat?”

            “Stop it both of you,” Don demanded, stepping between them.  “I’m beginning to think we’re all going stir crazy.  Just because circumstances have made it difficult to enjoy some quality topside time doesn’t mean we should take it out on each other.”

            The sound of Don’s voice seemed to calm Raph, who promptly turned his shell to Mikey.  “I think it’s the control module,” Raph said.  “Ya’ got an extra one of those by any chance?”

            Don frowned.  “No.  I was going to salvage one on our next run, but . . . .”

            A grin blossomed on Raph’s face, humor that Mikey would not have thought possible moments earlier clearly showing now.

            “Is this a good time to say I told you so?” Raph asked.

            “It is not,” Don said firmly.

            With a shrug, Raph said, “Then I won’t.  Don’t need to, we both know I was right.  Keeping a low profile means we run out of stuff.  The fridge is already starting to look bare.”

            “I concede your point,” Don replied, “but only if you admit that you were using that argument as a way to push a personal agenda.  We need to look for supplies; we don’t need to look for a fight with any of our enemies.”

            Raph’s scowl had no effect on Don’s composure.  It rarely did.  “Ya’ know what pisses me off?  That everyone in this family assumes I’m always itching for a fight whenever I leave the lair.  All of ya’ think ya’ know me so damn well.”

            Mikey would have responded with ‘because we do’.  He was pretty sure Leo would have answered in the same manner.  Maybe that’s why Don didn’t fight with Raph, because that kind of rejoinder wasn’t the first thing that came to mind.

            “I apologize for making that assumption,” Don said.  “You’re right, we shouldn’t stereotype each other.  Of the hundreds of times you’ve helped me with salvage operations there hasn’t been a single occasion where you left to get into other mischief.”

            That response seemed to mollify Raph, whose features softened.

            “I could go talk Leo into letting us make a run to the junkyard,” Mikey said quickly, pulling Don’s attention away from Raph.

            “I’d appreciate that, Mikey,” Don said.  “If he needs to know details, send him my direction.”

            “Tell him to take his thumb out of his ass before he gets here,” Raph said.  “Uptight bastard,” he mumbled under his breath as he turned back to the engine compartment.

            Mikey barely registered the insult aimed at Leo because he was too caught up in the warmth of Donatello’s expressed appreciation.  The genius had a gift for soothing his brothers and probably didn’t even realize it.

            Bypassing the kitchen, Mikey saw that Master Splinter had started dinner preparations.  Leo was still in his chair reading and closed the book on a finger when he spotted Mikey heading towards him.

            “I’m bringing a request from Donny,” Mikey said, plopping down on the couch.  “He needs a part for the van and doesn’t have a spare.  We need to do a supply run.  On a side note, the kitchen cupboards are bare and Klunk is nearly out of kibble.”

            Leo stared at him and Mikey could almost see the wheels turning in his head even though his face was an expressionless blank.

            “How much of that request was Don’s and how much Raph’s?” Leo asked.

            Clearly Leo thought that Mikey was functioning as a go-between for Raph’s ulterior motives.  He would have dearly loved to convey Raph’s exact message because seeing them fight again would give him more information.  Doing so might satisfy some of Mikey’s curiosity, but then Don would never get his much needed engine part.

            “Dude, you have got to stop seeing Raph behind every bush,” Mikey said.  “The request was all Donny’s.  Raph agreed ‘cause he’s helping with the van and knows it can’t be fixed without that part.  Don would have asked you himself, but he’s covered in grease.”

            “He’s almost always covered in grease,” Leo said.  “I’ve never known it to stop him from talking to me.”

            “Would you believe I’m helping him keep the peace?” Mikey asked.

            “That I would believe,” Leo said.  “I can also well imagine the colorful language Raph used when it was decided I needed to be consulted about a proposed supply run.”

            “And here’s Raph thinking we don’t know him as well as we think we do,” Mikey said with a grin.  “So what’s the answer bro’?”

            “I suppose it has to be a yes, otherwise Don will just go on his own,” Leo said.

            “If he wants something bad enough he will,” Mikey said.  “He’ll turn a deaf ear to anyone fussing at him about it afterwards too.”

            “Sometimes he’s as bad as Raph when it comes to the issue of personal safety,” Leo said.  “He just puts his at risk in different ways.”

            Mikey jumped up.  “I’m gonna go tell them, okay?”

            Leo caught his arm before he could leave.  “We’ll go to the junkyard, a bodega, and then back here.  Nothing more.”

            “I’ll pass that along too,” Mikey said.  “You can deal with any arguments about it.”

            “I always do,” Leo said, flipping his book open again.

            It might have been Mikey’s imagination, but he could have sworn Leo not only anticipated a disagreement, but welcomed one.  Mikey would have put money down betting that it was Raphael he wanted to argue with.

            When Mikey delivered the good news, Raph whistled in surprise.  “Well what do ya’ know, Fearless is actually willing to come out of hiding.  Might be hope for him yet.”

            “It’s supposed to be a round trip,” Mikey said.  “Junkyard, bodega, and home.”

            “And the hope is dashed,” Raph said.  “Once a tight ass, always a tight ass.”

            “Baby steps, Raph,” Don muttered as he inspected a part with a magnifying glass.

            Raph huffed and went back to working on the engine.  The two of them had obviously talked about some aspect of the situation between Raph and Leo.  It irked Mikey not to have been privy to that conversation since it might have given him some additional clues.

            He contemplated Don, who was oblivious to Mikey’s perusal.  If he could get Donny alone, Mikey might acquire answers to a few leading questions.  Mikey would have to be subtle though, because the genius did not betray confidences.

            Deciding it wouldn’t be worthwhile to stand around watching those two work, Mikey left to help Master Splinter with dinner.  They all took turns preparing the one meal Master Splinter insisted they try and eat together as a family.  Since Mikey liked to cook and their father wasn’t anywhere close to being a master in the kitchen, the youngest turtle tended to go to his aid.

            For lack of a better word, dinner was interesting.  There was absolutely no talk of their impending trip for one thing.  Raph and Leo were locked in a staring contest throughout the meal, breaking off only when someone else addressed either of them directly.

            Because they weren’t actually bickering, Master Splinter ignored their behavior.  It was almost as though the pair were having a silent battle of wills.  Mikey wondered how they’d determine who had won.

            It turned out to be very subtle.  Master Splinter left the dinner table first and then Leo got up and began stacking the dirty dishes.  He put the plates directly in front of Raphael and then walked away carrying the glassware.

            Raph sat there staring at the pile of plates.  Mikey made a show of brushing crumbs off the table just so he could observe how his brother would react.  Don muttered something about putting the van back together so they could drive it and left.

            For a few minutes Raph’s jaw worked from side to side, like it did when he was annoyed.  When he suddenly stood up and slapped both hands down on the table, Mikey nearly came out of his skin.

            _“He’s gonna walk off,”_ Mikey thought.  _“He’ll leave the plates and Leo will get mad.  No topside tonight, boxing fans.  We’re in for a fight.”_

            Then Raph picked up the plates and took them into the kitchen.  Waiting where he was, Mikey cocked his head to the side, listening for the first sounds of an argument.

            It wasn’t long before Leo left the kitchen alone.  He moved off towards the service bay where Don had gone and Mikey took that opportunity to peek in on Raph.

            The hot head stood at the counter washing the dishes.  His mouth was pressed into a thin line and his movements were jerky, like he was thoroughly angry.

            Raph was also breathing faster than normal and when he turned to retrieve the soiled pans from the stovetop, Mikey could see that his tail was stiff and that there was a well-defined bulge in his crotch.

            Mikey pulled back fast before Raph saw him.  Apparently Raph and Leo _had_ fought, only it wasn’t verbal.  Leo had won too, otherwise Raph wouldn’t be standing there slamming pots and pans around but still washing up.

            Wanting to know what Leo was talking to Don about, Mikey started in the direction of the service bay.  He’d gone only a few steps when Leo came back from that area and walked past him.

            There was no mistaking the complacent look on Leo’s face as he glanced towards the kitchen.  Nor did Mikey have any trouble noticing Leo’s awkward gait or the fact that his tail was also thickly rigid.

            Leonardo went straight up to his room.  Mikey bit his thumb in indecision.  He wanted to eavesdrop but he didn’t want to get busted in the act.

            Finally his curiosity overcame his caution and Mikey crept upstairs to press his head against Leo’s door.

            It was quiet for several long minutes and when Mikey’s chest started to hurt, he realized he’d been holding his breath.  Releasing it very softly, Mikey looked around without seeing anyone and then leaned in again.

            This time he heard an unmistakable churr.  This was followed by wet slapping sounds.

            “Ah . . . ngh!  That’s . . . right Raph.  Hah, hah . . . mmm.  Do wh . . . what I tell . . . tell you to . . . to do.  Umph!  Ahh!  Shell!  Umm, ah . . . Raphael!”

            Thoroughly aroused, the uncomfortable pain of trying to contain his erection made Mikey flee to his bedroom.  As he was going inside, he spotted Raph jogging up the stairs, clearly intent on gaining the privacy of his own room.

            Mikey could easily guess that both he and Raph were going to be doing the exact same thing in just a few minutes.

 

TBC………….


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 3,264 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            During the ride to the junkyard, Michelangelo surreptitiously watched both Raphael and Leonardo.

            They were studiously avoiding eye contact, which was interesting considering the staring contest at the dinner table.  Even though comments had passed between the four as they prepared to leave the lair, neither Raph nor Leo had directly addressed one another.

            Donatello, behind the wheel of the van, seemed oblivious to the undercurrent of tension.  For the most part, he didn’t seem much aware of any change taking place at all.  A loud straight up fight would get his attention, but anything more subtle didn’t appear to catch his notice.

            Then of course, Don did have better things to do with his time.  If not for him, they’d probably be living in a dark hovel and getting around town on stolen bikes.  Or maybe not even have lived long enough to learn how to ride a bike.

            It was Donatello who had figured out how to tap into the third rail of the subway to provide them with electricity.  He told them that the third rail was a potent source of power and nearly untraceable by the city.

            Candles were all well and good for light, but for heating the lair or their bath water they were pretty useless.  The flame wasn’t much use for cooking either and sure couldn’t run the entertainment system Michelangelo so often depended on.

            Michelangelo made a mental note to thank his genius brother more often.

            As his mind drifted back to earlier, Mikey couldn’t help thinking that the current situation was pretty funny.  Not more than a couple of hours ago, three of the turtles seated in the van were furiously masturbating, though not for the same reasons.

            Maybe that was why there was tension without fighting.  A healthy release was always followed by a certain sense of euphoria.  How long that would last between his two alpha brothers was anyone’s guess.

            They entered the junkyard through a side gate as they usually did, with Raph jumping out to unlock it and then relock it behind them.  Being thoroughly familiar with the layout of the yard, Donatello drove directly to the area filled with salvage vehicles.

            After they were all out of the van, it struck Mikey that the only ones who knew what they were looking for were Don and Raph.  Fully aware that Karai was still hunting them, Don had strategically parked the van where it could not be seen from the other side of the fence line.  That did not mean they could let their guard down.

            Apparently Leo had the same thoughts.

            “Mikey, since the two of us can’t help find vehicle parts, we’ll patrol the yard.  Keep your eyes open, we don’t want the Foot to catch us with our shells down,” Leo said.

            Raph and Donny were already dividing up quadrants to search, neither of them paying any notice to what their brothers were doing.  Or at least that’s how it appeared.  Mikey was sure that Don’s mind was entirely taken with the task at hand, but when Leo slipped away through the piles of junked cars, Raph’s eyes followed him.

            When Raph and Don separated, Mikey remained near his genius brother.  Not wanting to incur the wrath of Leonardo, he made certain to make a pass around the fence line, keeping his eyes and ears open.  After each round, Mikey would head back in Don’s direction, determined to be the one keeping an eye on that particular brother’s shell.

            During the first couple of passes, Mikey encountered Leo, who seemed satisfied at seeing his younger brother following his orders.  After that, Mikey didn’t see him again, but didn’t find that to be reason for concern.  Leo was good at staying hidden.

            On the next round Mikey didn’t run across Raph either and that got him worried.  He didn’t think Raph could really be so rash as to take off on his own, but Mikey did have to admit that his behavior of late was nothing less than extraordinary.

            It made Mikey wonder if Leo had discovered Raph’s defection and had gone after him.  He was about to go to Don and tell him what might be happening when he heard something that sounded like a body slamming against metal.  Check that, not a body per se, but a carapace.

            Fearing the worst, Mikey raced towards the sound.  He was definitely going to chew his brothers out for not yelling for help.

            Mikey crested a stack of cars, his hands starting for his nunchakus, when he saw the cause of the noise and froze.

            Raph was pressed back against the side of a delivery truck, Leo’s hand on his chest ostensibly holding him in place.  The pair were close together and though there were angry overtones to their murmured conversation, they weren’t actually fighting.

            Looking around, Mikey tried to see if there was a way to get closer so that he could hear what they were saying.  Much to his disappointment it just wasn’t possible.  Even with Leo so focused on Raph, there was no way Mr. Super Ninja wouldn’t sense Mikey’s approach.

            It wasn’t hard to guess what had started this.  Raph probably caught Leo spying on him and called his brother out on it.  He’d have claimed Leo didn’t trust him.  Instead of covering and saying he was simply watching Raph’s back, Leo would have popped off something about how he needed babysitting.

            They’d have gotten in each other’s faces, Raph would have jabbed a finger into Leo’s plastron, and in retaliation Leo would have shoved him back.  But his holding him thing, this keeping his hand on Raph, well that was new.

            Mikey noticed that his brothers were breathing heavily as they glared at one another.  By now Raph should have slapped Leo’s hand away, but both of his were at his sides, flattened against the truck.  There was zero indication that Raph was making any attempt to escape.

            The sharpness of their tones didn’t change, but Mikey noticed that Leo shuffled a little nearer to Raph.  From his position, Mikey could see the sudden flare of Raph’s nostrils and the widening of his eyes.  As soon as he reacted that way, Leo reached out and flattened his other hand on the truck near Raph’s head so that he could lean even closer.

            Mikey had no clue what sexual tension was, but he was pretty sure that’s what he was seeing.  The scene was so fascinating that he couldn’t look away.

            “Guys?  Where is everybody?”

            Startled, Mikey’s knee knocked against the top of the car he was squatting on, the sound loud in the quiet junkyard.  Leo jerked back from Raph to look towards the noise and Mikey quickly scuttled down from his hiding spot.  Using whatever cover he could find, Mikey ran to where he’d last seen Don, finding that his brother was simultaneously coming his way.

            “You okay, Donny?” Mikey asked.

            “I’m fine,” Don said, his grease covered fists coming to rest on his hips.  “Am I the only one working?  Where are Raph and Leo?”

            “I’m right here, brainiac,” Raph said as he walked over to them.  In his hand was an engine part of some sort.  Tossing it to Don, he added, “Here.  I dug this out of a truck around the corner.  It ain’t the part we came here for, but a clean distributor is something we can always use.”

            “Thank you,” Don said happily, turning the part over in his hand as he looked at it.  “I found the control module I need.  If we have more time, I’d like to grab a couple of other things.  Maybe take a look at the truck you got this part off of?  Where’s Leo?”

            “Here.”

            Three sets of eyes flashed upward to find Leonardo perched atop a precariously balanced mound of crushed cars.  “In answer to your question, Donny, we can stay a bit longer but only if we can keep the noise level down.”

            “Then why don’t ya’ patrol on your own and let me and Donny work?” Raph snapped at him.  “Mikey can schlep parts.  It ain’t like he’s all that good a lookout anyway.”

            “Hey!” Mikey said, frowning at him.  “Don’t take your bad mood out on me.”

            “Take this and put it in the box in the back of the van,” Don said, cutting off the impending argument by handing the auto part to Mikey.  “Then head back over to . . . .”  He looked at Raph.  “Where’s that truck?”

            “Behind me about thirty yards,” Raph said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

            “Meet us there,” Don said, returning his attention to Mikey.

            “Aye, aye, Captain,” Mikey said with a snappy salute.  “Need anything else? What me to carry your bag, sir?”

            Don grinned.  “Nope, I need my tools.  Don’t get lost.”

            He and Raph walked away together and Mikey looked up to find that Leo had already disappeared.  When Mikey reached the moving van, he was not at all surprised to find Leo standing next to it, clearly waiting for him.

            “Decide we’re not in danger?” Mikey asked, choosing to take a counteroffensive before Leo could speak.

            “We’re always in danger,” Leo answered, watching as Mikey set the machine part into the box as instructed.  “The question is, did _you_ see anything while you were supposed to be patrolling?”

            The way the question was phrased insinuated a number of things while also being a question within a question.  Mikey was clever enough to know not to take the bait.

            “I know I didn’t see you on my last pass around the perimeter,” Mikey said, turning towards his brother.  “When I heard Donny call out I thought there might have been trouble.”

            Good. Mikey was pleased to see Leo color just a little.  It never hurt to put pressure on Leo’s guilty conscious.

            “So you were coming from the opposite direction?” Leo asked.

            Mikey had played enough pranks during his lifetime to have perfected the innocent act.  He could also smell a trick question from a mile away.

            “Opposite from where?” Mikey countered.  “I was near the river when I heard Don.”

            Technically the whole place was near the river, so in Mikey’s book it wasn’t a lie.

            Leo’s eyes narrowed as though he knew that Mikey was trying to mislead him and was working on a way to catch his brother out.  Allowing the other fighter time to get set was always a mistake.

            “Better get back to Raph and Don,” Mikey said as he started moving.  He couldn’t resist adding, “Wouldn’t want them to think I’m slacking too.”

            He didn’t give Leo time to make a comeback, walking just fast enough to put an end to the conversation without appearing to rush off.

            Before Mikey was too far away, Leo called out, “Tell them fifteen minutes.”

            When Mikey got back to his other two brothers, he saw that they had a collection of greasy auto parts stacked on the ground behind them.  Groaning, Mikey regretted that in his hurry to escape Leo’s interrogation he hadn’t thought to bring the box with him.

            Don lifted out another part that was as big as his head and spotted his younger brother.  “Uh, you might need something to carry these in.”

            “Gee, no kidding,” Mikey said sarcastically.  “It might have been easier to just tow the whole truck behind us.”

            “I thought of that,” Don said, “but I figured Leo wouldn’t go for it, since we have to make a grocery run before we go home.”

            “Speaking of Leo, he said to tell you guys fifteen minutes,” Mikey said, watching Raph’s shell closely.

            Raph’s head came up fast and he hit it on the underside of the truck’s hood.  “Ow!  Shit!” he exclaimed, twisting around to scowl at Mikey.  “He’s turning into a fucking drill sergeant.”

            “What’s it matter to you?” Mikey asked.  “You rarely listen to him anyway.”

            Tossing a couple of gaskets on the ground, Raph said, “I know where the Professor usually leaves a shopping cart.  I’m gonna go get it.”

            He stomped off and Mikey turned to see Don looking at him with a bemused expression on his face.  “Are you trying to wind him up?”

            Mikey shrugged.  “No more than usual.  Why, am I doing a good job?”

            Don’s lips pressed into a thin line before he opened them to say, “You always do a good job of it, but normally there’s a reason.  Lately you seem to be trying to anger him just for sport.”

            “Lately I’ve been bored,” Mikey said, not wanting Don to explore the subject any further.

            “Riling him up because you’re bored doesn’t explain why afterwards you stare at him like he’s some sort of specimen under a magnifying glass,” Don said.  “Nor does it explain why you appear to be purposely antagonizing both Leo and Raph in ways that ensure they’ll end up fighting with each other.”

            For a second, Mikey’s mind went blank.  Apparently Don had noticed more than he’d been letting on.

            He started to respond and then caught himself.  Maybe Don didn’t really know anything but was fishing.  The genius was a lot more subtle about it than Leo, which was one of the reasons everyone tended to tell him more than they’d meant to.

            Mikey had to hand it to Don.  Stating something as though it was a known fact did tend to make the questioned party admit things, or at least verify the declared theory.  Mikey realized then that Donny often approached his everyday life the same way he did an experiment.  It was probably ingrained into him.

            All of that passed through Mikey’s mind very quickly and he figured out that the only proper reply was to say nothing.

            “Mikey?  Are you going to answer me?” Don asked with a frown.

            “Oh sorry,” Mikey said.  “I didn’t know you’d asked me anything.”

            Fortunately, he’d stalled long enough for the squeak of wheels to tell him that Raph was on his way back.  Don gave him a last stern look before he began collecting parts off the ground.

            Though Mikey was glad for the interruption, he wasn’t thrilled to have Donatello peeved at him.  He didn’t worry over having Raph or Leo annoyed with him, but Donny was a different story.  For some reason it was important to Mikey that he stay in Don’s good graces.

            In an effort to placate the genius, Mikey moved fast so that he was the one who ended up loading most of the parts into the shopping cart.  He would have tried to wrestle control of the cart away from Raph if he wasn’t worried Don would take that the wrong way and think he was just trying to irritate Raph some more.

            At the van, Mikey once more made the effort to unload most of the cart.  Both Raph and Don were shooting perplexed glances in his direction, but Mikey pretended not to notice.

            Leo appeared as Don was placing some old clothes and blankets into the cart.

            “I brought these for the Professor,” Don explained.  “I thought we might see him, but I can push the cart near where he usually hangs out and he’ll know who this stuff is from.”

            “Make it fast, Donny,” Leo said.  “We’ve been in one spot for too long.”

            After Don left them a heavy silence fell on the trio.  Mikey clasped his hands behind his shell and rocked back and forth on his feet, trying not to look as though he was watching his brothers.

            Raph was glowering at the ground, periodically shooting daggers in Leo’s direction.  For his part, Leo’s head seemed to be on a swivel as he kept watch for unseen foes.  Mikey noted that there was just the tiniest hint of a smug smile at the corners of Leo’s mouth.

            Finally Raph could take it no more.  “Ya’ afraid something’s gonna come out of the dark and pounce on ya’, Fearless?”

            “An observant ninja is not caught unawares,” Leo said, sounding like he was quoting something.

            “Why don’t we go _observe_ Hun while we’re topside?” Raph asked.  “Quick drive by.  See if he’s up to something.”

            “In a van whose engine stalls when Donny steps on the gas pedal?” Leo asked, the question clearly rhetorical.  “Hun is not our business tonight, supplies are.”

            “Why do ya’ have to be so goddamned focused on one thing?” Raph barked.  “You’re all defense, ya’ got no offensive play in ya’.”

           “And you’ve got a one track mind,” Leo said.  “There is not a patient bone in your body.”

           They seemed to have forgotten that Mikey was there and he was happy for once to keep his mouth shut and just be a spectator.

           “How the hell am I supposed to be patient when ya’ don’t fucking listen to me?” Raph demanded.

           “I’ve explained until I’m blue in the face why we can’t be the aggressor right now,” Leo said, a hint of frustration in his tone.  “What do you want from me, Raph?”

           “What do I want?  I want ya’ to think that I’m important!” Raph shouted.  His eyes widened as he realized what he’d said.  “I mean . . . I want ya’ to think that what I say is important.”

           Leo’s brow creased.  “You are important,” he said.  “Just because I’m not always accepting of your ideas doesn’t mean . . . .”

           “I ran into the Professor,” Don announced as he rounded a pile of junk.  “I had to cut him off because I knew you guys were in a hurry.  He sends his greetings.”

           Raph sucked at his teeth to produce a rude noise and said, “Great.  Can we go now?”

           Donatello looked at him and then at Leo, before shrugging and climbing into the driver’s seat.  Without a word, Leo swung in next to him on the passenger side, leaving the seats in the back for the younger turtles.

           This time it was Mikey who jumped out to deal with the gate.  When he got back into the van, he saw that Raph hadn’t changed positions at all.  His eyes were glued to the back of Leo’s head and his fists were doubled into tight balls.

           As they drove along, Mikey thought he heard Raph sigh.  The sound was so slight that he might have imagined it.  Raph didn’t sigh when he was mad, he did that when he was frustrated.  He did it when he wanted something that was just out of reach.

           Since he was boring holes into Leo, Mikey could only guess at what Raph wanted.

           Something Donny had said earlier suddenly struck Mikey as interesting.  He’d asked if Mikey was trying to antagonize Raph and Leo on purpose.  Of course the answer at one time had been yes, but that was earlier when Mikey was testing some ideas on the way to collecting his empirical data.

           What he’d observed between Leo and Raph when they hadn’t known they were being spied on opened another avenue entirely.  Add to that the slip Raph had made and how Leo kept going out of his way to engineer situations that would put him into close physical contact with Raph.

           To Mikey’s mind it could all be summed up in one way; the pair wanted to have sex with each other but the obstacles to that were keeping them apart.  Would probably always keep them apart.

           Unless a certain very ingenious and crafty younger brother interfered.

 

TBC……………..


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 2,964 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            It was Leonardo who did the shopping when they stopped at the bodega.  He would have done it all on his own, in fact he’d told his brothers to stay in the van, but Raph snidely reminded him that he was the one who had harped on the subject of keeping a watchful eye open.

            Don had quickly volunteered Mikey as Leo’s watch turtle.  Clearly the genius didn’t want Leo and Raph paired up for the shopping trip and it wasn’t hard to figure out why.  Even Don could see that those two were practically bristling at each other.  Fighting in the safety of the lair was one thing, fighting in the middle of the street something else entirely.

            Michelangelo was actually glad for the chance to go off alone with Leo.  He doubted his brother would try to continue the grilling from earlier and if he did, Mikey would dodge the leading questions the way he’d done before. 

            Since Mikey had made the decision to get involved in putting Leo and Raph together in the way he thought they wanted, he had to start somewhere.  This was as good an opportunity to collect clues as any.  Once back at the lair there was no telling when he’d get Leo away from prying eyes.

            Leo easily picked the lock on the back door and the pair of turtles slipped inside.  Almost at once a keypad next to the door began to beep loudly.

            “They changed the alarm system,” Leo said.  “We’ve got fifteen seconds before the police are notified.  Better call Donny.”

            “I’ve got this, Leo,” Mikey said.  Leaning forward, he huffed heated breath onto the keypad.  It immediately showed smudges on three of the numbers.

            He tried a sequence combination using those numbers but the warning continued to beep.

            “Mikey . . . .” Leo cautioned.

            Taking a guess, Mikey tried a second combination.  As soon as he hit the last digit, the beeping stopped and the light above the keypad turned green.

            “Nice job bro’,” Leo said.

            “Don’s been teaching me,” Mikey said proudly.

            They were in a storage room and Leo helped himself to an empty box.  Some of the items they required were in this room, so while Mikey stood watch, Leo filled the box and set it next to the back door.

            Grabbing another box, Leo signaled that he was going into the store.  Mikey pulled a stock cart against the back door so they’d have a warning in case someone tried to sneak in behind them and then followed his brother.

            The front window and door were covered by security bars which made them difficult to see through from the outside.  It was one of the reasons the turtles preferred to shop in this particular bodega.  Only a couple of interior lights were on and they were near the cash register, which left the shopping area in darkness.

            Since seeing in the dark was not a problem for the brothers, Leo didn’t need a flashlight to find the items they needed.  While he moved through the store, Mikey stood where he could see both the front and storage room doors.

            “So Leo, I was thinking . . . .” Mikey began, knowing he didn’t have much time to broach the subject.

            “Not sure that’s such a good idea,” Leo said, his voice floating out from behind an aisle.

            Mikey made a face.  “Very funny.  It’s about what Raph said earlier.”

            “You’ll have to be more specific than that,” Leo said.  “Please skip the curse words.”

            “Your sense of humor is underwhelming,” Mikey observed.  “It was when you asked him what he wanted from you and he said he wanted you to think he was important.”

            Silence.  Mikey waited, counting off the seconds.  He was starting to think he’d have to push when he heard Leo sigh.

            “He amended that,” Leo said.  “He misspoke.  You heard him.  He meant to say that he wanted me to think that what he _said_ was important.”

            “That’s not how you started to answer him,” Mikey said.  “You told him that he is important.”

            “If you’ll recall, I’d barely begun my answer when Don came back,” Leo said.  “What does it matter to you anyway?  It’s not like that was the first argument you’ve ever heard us have.”

            Mikey shrugged, even though he knew Leo wasn’t looking at him.  “I don’t know, maybe it matters ‘cause the two of you are getting more vicious.  What do you want from him?”

            Another pause, this one shorter.  “A little respect would be nice.  Do we need any spices?”

            “Salt.  And oregano,” Mikey said.  Not to be distracted from his topic, he continued.  “That’s an old argument and he already knows it.  What else?”

            “What else what, Mikey?” Leo asked, sounding irritated.

            “You want respect, he wants respect,” Mikey answered.  “Been down that road for how many years now?  It’s not a new argument and after all this time it’s not like that’s going to ramp up to the point where the two of you can’t look at each other without fighting.”

            Leo popped out from behind a stack of paper towels.  “Any time we’re forced to stay out of sight for an extended period of time he gets antsy.  You know that too.  We always fight more when he’s not allowed to go topside.”

            “But he doesn’t always say he needs for you to think he’s important,” Mikey said.  “Maybe the two of you should just sit down and talk it out.  Like, make a pact not to fight.  I saw this technique on a show, where the married couples have a timer, and each one has a certain amount of time to say what’s bugging them, then the buzzer goes off and it’s the other person's turn.”

            “We’re not a married couple,” Leo said, disappearing again.

            “Same difference,” Mikey told him.  “We gotta live in close quarters and you two have to find a way to actually hear each other.”

            “I hear him just fine,” Leo said.  “He’s loud.”

            “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Mikey said.  “You don’t have to do it out in the open.  You two could go in your bedroom and lock the door.  I’ll let you borrow my egg timer.”

            Leo didn’t respond for a couple of minutes.  Mikey was starting to wonder if his brother was actually considering the idea when Leo was abruptly there in front of him.

            “What’s with the sudden interest in playing peacekeeper, Michelangelo?” Leo asked.  “Do you have some particular investment in seeing the two of us get along?”

            He was staring at Mikey, clearly studying every micro-expression on his younger brother’s face.  Long years of practice kept Mikey’s countenance smooth and free of clues.

            Wanting in turn to see how Leo would react, Mikey countered.  “Could be I want to see Raph happy and contented for once.  You know, satisfied in every way.  It’d be a novel experience.”

            As far as poker faces went, Leo was a master at it.  There wasn’t even a slight bit of color to give away what he was thinking.

            “You have an odd way of going about that,” Leo said.  “Wasn’t it you who was trying to fire him up just yesterday?”

            Mikey decided on a little honesty.  “I wanted to see if he’d get as mad at me as he does at you.  No contest by the way.  He gets pissed at stuff I do, but not at me in particular.  That personal anger is reserved just for you.  I wanna know why.”

            “The way I interact with Raph is not anyone’s business but ours,” Leo said.

            “That’d be true if the rest of us didn’t get pulled into it,” Mikey said.  “It’s not like me and Donny can just go back to our own apartments while you two slug it out.  We don’t have any choice but to put up with the disturbances.”

            “I understand the particular eccentricities of our family as well as you do,” Leo said.  “If we had more time, I’d address the disturbances through the years that we’ve put up with from your pranks.”

            Mikey waved that away with a flick of his fingers.  “Not the same thing bro’.  Pranks fall under the heading of ‘entertainment’.  When we were kids, you pulled your fair share of them too.”

            “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not kids anymore,” Leo said.

            “No we’re not,” Mikey acknowledged.  “That means you and Raph can’t keep fighting all the time like you did when we were little.  The now fights hurt more, and I don’t mean ‘cause both of you can punch harder.”

            “Is this your idea of an intervention?” Leo asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

            Now it was Mikey’s turn to be annoyed, but he swallowed it.  Leo probably hoped for some sort of emotional reaction because that would take the focus off of him.

            “Just trying to help,” Mikey said.  “I know you won’t ask for any and neither will Raph.  I’m trying to be a good and considerate brother.”

            Leo watched him as though trying to gauge the level of his sincerity.  Finally he said, “Thank you.  I appreciate your effort, but you need to understand that I can’t just be a brother, I also have to be a leader.  When Raph pushes against my decisions, I can’t fold.”

            “No one’s asking you to fold,” Mikey insisted, knowing that Leo would eventually pull the leader card.  “Doesn’t your Sun Tzu say something about understanding the men under your command?  How can you understand . . .?”

            He was interrupted by the buzzing of Leo’s shell cell.  His brother took it from his belt and glanced at the screen.

            “It’s Don.  He wants to know what’s taking so long,” Leo said.

            Mikey stayed quiet as Leo texted something back and got a quick reply.  Tucking the shell cell away, Leo set the box he was holding on the ground and said, “Check that I got everything.  Don needs a couple of items from the medicine aisle.”

            He was off before Mikey had a chance to respond.  Mikey grimaced as he realized their conversation had come to an abrupt end without his having accomplished anything.

            After checking the box, Mikey grabbed a few bags of the hard candies that he knew Don liked.  Leo wasn’t a big fan of sweets so he tended to forget the little extras that the rest of the family enjoyed.  While he was at it, Mikey got a couple of the latest issues of motorcycle magazines for Raphael and potato chips for himself.

            Leo came back holding a basket filled with an assortment of medical supplies.  Setting it on the ground next to Mikey, he took some folded bills from a small pocket in his belt.  Darting over to the check out station, Leo tucked the bills under the cash register and then rejoined his brother.

            Together they took their shopping out the back door and then Mikey ducked in again to reset the alarm.  Leo locked the door and then the pair returned to the van.

            “Damn, what took ya’ so long?” Raph griped as soon as they were back.  “I’m growing a beard here.”

            “It takes as long as it takes,” Leo said.

            _“So much for making an effort,”_ Mikey thought to himself.  Out loud he said, “They have a new alarm system and moved some stuff around.  Now if Don would get us an account with one of the big stores, we could have our groceries delivered.”

            “And how exactly would we list our address?” Don asked as he drove towards home.  “Number one, Sewer Lane, care of the Tunnels?”

            “Terrapin Station, Turtle Pond South,” Mikey said.

            They kept up the banter during the remainder of the drive.  Neither Leo nor Raph joined in, both clearly lost in their own thoughts.

            By the time they got back to the lair, unloaded the van and put away the groceries, it was after three in the morning.  Mikey yawned loudly, stretching his arms overhead before staring meaningfully at Donatello.

            “It’s been a long day, I sure am tired,” Mikey said.  “Aren’t you tired, Donny?”

            Don was turning an engine part over in his hands and it took him a second to register that his brother had said something to him.  “Uh, not really.  I was thinking about how I could modify . . . .”

            “Sure you were,” Mikey said, trying to sound stern.  “What you should be thinking about is bed.  Or don’t you remember the tongue lashing you got from Master Splinter for showing up to practice dragging your butt?”

            “Mikey’s right,” Leo said.  “Once you’ve started a project, you’ll never stop.”

            “Oh leave him alone,” Raph snapped.  “Don’s a big boy.  I think he can figure out his own damn bedtime.”

            “Anything at all, right Raph?” Leo asked, glaring at his brother.  “Whatever I say, you have to contradict.”

            Wide eyed, Don stepped between them.  “It’s okay guys.  I am actually tired and I’m glad Mikey reminded me that I should put the projects down and get some sleep.”

            “It wouldn’t hurt any of us to get some extra rest,” Leo said.  “Master Splinter would appreciate all of us making a good showing during practice.”

            “I’m gonna watch TV,” Raph announced, his tone belligerent.

            Leo started to say something, but Don gave him such a pleading look that he closed his mouth.  One didn’t have to be a brain surgeon to see that Raph was intentionally being as uncooperative as possible.

            Rather than ignore the pettiness like he would have in the past, Leo was rising to the bait.  If they were alone, Mikey would have reminded Leo of the conversation they’d just gotten done having.

            Instead he stared pointedly at his older brother and was gratified when Leo glanced at him and then did a double take.  Leo’s mouth stiffened into a thin line before he gave Mikey a short, crisp nod of acknowledgment.

            Raph had already stomped off in the direction of the televisions.  Don and Mikey walked side by side behind Leo, who went directly up to his bedroom.

            “What was that all about?” Don asked, stopping Mikey while they were still far from their own bedrooms.

            “Which part?” Mikey asked, scratching his neck.

            “Don’t act so naïve,” Don said.  “I’m talking about the nonverbal communication you had with Leo just now.”

            “Oh that,” Mikey said.  “We talked a little in the bodega.  I told him he shouldn’t let Raph get under his skin so easily.”

            The frown on Don’s face smoothed out.  “It’s nice to hear you trying to stop the fights for once rather than egging those two on.”

            “Even I can tell when things have gone too far, Donny,” Mikey told him.  “Like you not going to bed at a decent hour.”

            Don chuckled.  “Okay, I can take a hint.  Goodnight.”

            “’Night, Donny,” Mikey said, watching Don climb the stairs to his room.

            Mikey turned off all but one of the lights in the kitchen area and then went upstairs, pausing on the first landing near Leo’s room.  From there he could see Raph, who was sitting on the couch scowling at the TV.

            Raphael couldn’t be asking for Leonardo’s attention more loudly if he was yelling it from the rooftops.  The problem was, at least from Mikey’s point of view, that Leo wasn’t giving him the type of attention that he was truly craving.

            Having shot his first salvo in Leo’s direction without any satisfactory results, Mikey had to come up with a new game plan.  Leo was just too good at keeping his secrets to himself and that created a big problem if there was going to be any hope in getting him and Raph together.

            Mikey contemplated Raph for a few minutes, reading frustration in every line of his brother’s body.  Where Leo was so good at hiding things, Raph was the opposite, an open book.

            An idea struck Mikey and he chewed on it.  Going after Leo wasn’t the best play because that nut was too hard to crack.  Besides, Leo already suspected that Mikey’s attempts to interfere hid some sort of ulterior motive.

            He was right of course, but Mikey didn’t want to confirm that at this juncture.  The direction Mikey needed to take was to go at his self-proclaimed task through Raphael.

            The difficulty was in figuring out which of several possible techniques would work.  He needed Raph to acknowledge to himself that he wanted Leo.  Mikey grinned and amended that thought.  Raph needed to admit that he wanted to screw Leo, or vice versa.  It didn’t matter to Mikey which of his brothers spread their legs, just so long as they finally jumped into bed together.

            Subtlety was the key.  Mikey could do subtle even though his family might not agree.  He had to somehow change how Raph and Leo interacted, get them to stop jabbing at one another, and then both concede that what they really wanted was to bone each other.

            Mikey needed to do all those things without arousing the suspicions of anyone in his family.  Especially Master Splinter.

            Slowing turning his head so that he could stare at Leo’s door, Mikey could feel a nebulous idea percolating in the back of his mind.  Maybe what he needed to do was to start siding with Leo, but not in a way that would come off as him trying to rile Raph.

            A smile began to spread across his mouth.  What Mikey was planning should arouse a completely different emotion in Raph.  One that would make him aggressive in getting Leo’s attention, but not by making the older turtle angry.

 

TBC………….


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 4,517 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: R Turtlecest

            “Subtle, subtle, can’t be obvious,” Mikey muttered to himself as a sort of mantra.  “Gotta make them curious, not mad.  Gotta open their eyes.”

           He knew that he’d set himself a tough task but he was determined to make his idea work.  What Mikey knew he had to do was to get positive attention from Leo and make Raph start to question what was going on between them.   At the same time, Mikey had to handle his subterfuge delicately enough that he wouldn’t actually anger Raph.

           Raphael was competitive.  If Mikey was smart, he could rouse that trait to a point where his brother would be motivated to counter whatever advances he made towards Leo with some his own.  And if he was really smart, neither Raph nor Leo would realize what was happening.

           It would be organic.  Mikey grinned.  He’d heard that on some TV show and liked the term.  Raph and Leo coming together would seem completely natural.  That Mikey had orchestrated everything would be his little secret.

           Having an idea of what he wanted to do had been enough to help him sleep the previous evening, but only after setting his alarm for thirty minutes before the ungodly hour that Leonardo usually rose.  If he was going to play at being interested in Leo he’d have to hang out with him.

           Getting up when that alarm sounded had been hard.  Mikey had no idea how Leo managed it every morning, and he didn’t even use an alarm clock.  If this stratagem worked though, the sacrifice of sleep would be more than worthwhile.

           Michelangelo knew Leo’s routine well.  His first stop after a trip to the bathroom was always the dojo.  Mikey made certain that he got there first.

           Leo’s entry was silent.  Since Mikey hadn’t known exactly when he’d arrive, he had started a series of katas so that he’d look like he was hard at work.  Mikey made certain to be in a position where he could spot any movement in the doorway.  He was nearing the end of one kata when his brother stepped into the dojo.

           He completed it with as much finesse as he could manage and then turned, faking a sheepish expression at seeing Leo standing there.

           “Oh, hey Leo.  Good morning,” Mikey said, trying to sound slightly self-conscious.

           “Good morning, Mikey,” Leo responded.  “What has you up so early?”

           Mikey looked down, raking the floor mat with one toe as he said, “You remember when Master Splinter was coming down on Don for not taking his training seriously enough?  I mean, he told Don that getting proper rest was important because he couldn’t perform at his peak without it?”

           Nodding encouragingly, Leo said, “I do.  What does that have to do with you practicing at the crack of dawn?”

           With a shrug, Mikey looked at him, trying to appear as sincere as possible.  “It made me think about the stuff Master Splinter has said to me in the past.  How if I just applied myself and focused that I could be as good a ninja as Master Yoshi was.”

           “I’ve made that same observation, Michelangelo,” Leo said.

           “I know,” Mikey said, eyes wide as he stared at his brother.  “I got to thinking that I want that.  I don’t want to just rest on my past wins as the Battle Nexus champion.  ‘Cause you know, I remember that second time against Kluh and how much I didn’t want to face him.  I never want to feel like that if I’m ever challenged again.”

           “Does that mean you’ve decided to take your training more seriously?” Leo asked.

           “Yep,” Mikey said with a nod.  “You helped me before so I figured if I got up early and showed you that I was ready to put in the work, you’d help me again.”

           “Of course I will,” Leo said, looking pleased.

           “It’s not too much trouble?” Mikey asked.

           Leo smiled.  “Helping you will help me to be better as well.”

           “Awesome, dude!” Mikey chirped enthusiastically.  “What do you want to do first?”

           As he expected, Leonardo was more than happy to line out a training program, one that would mean that he’d spend extra time with his younger brother.  When their other two brothers and Master Splinter arrived for their usual practice session, they found Leo and Mikey already hard at work.

           As they lined up to take instruction from their father, Mikey made certain to jockey himself into a position between Leo and Raph.  The latter gave him a funny look but then paid Mikey no further attention.  He hadn’t seemed to think much about finding Leo and Mikey together either, but it was early in the day.

           Because Mikey had managed to plant himself next to Leo, when it was time for them to split into pairs to go through exercises, they were naturally matched up.  This did earn a frown from Raphael, who preferred to be partnered with Leo despite the fact that lately they were so often at odds with one another.

           It wasn’t during the regular exercises that the pairings mattered, at least that was what Mikey assumed; for those Master Splinter simply barked out a series of movements and strikes and each pair was required to complete them flawlessly.  Leo rarely had to be corrected, with Raph running a close second.

           Mikey and Don usually caught the brunt of it, with Master Splinter alternating between telling his youngest son to focus and his smartest son not to slouch.  Don spent so much time bent over either his computer or his work table that his shoulders were developing a distinctive curvature.

           Today though Mikey was all about the focus.  His performance was so flawless that Master Splinter had not a single correction for him.

           Raph however wasn’t operating at full capacity.  He kept tossing glances towards Leo and then end up being a step off or a fraction late in reacting to a command.  This earned him several rebukes that had him scowling by the time the exercises were concluded.

           Mikey hadn’t thought before about how working next to Leo might motivate Raph, but he was guessing now that it did.  Maybe it was Raph’s competitive streak or the energy that Leo exuded, but Raph definitely performed better alongside his oldest brother.

           When it was time to begin sparring Mikey felt super charged.  What he’d learned about Raph during their exercises had been enlightening, but this was the part of practice that Mikey had been waiting for.

           Of course they regularly sparred against each of their brothers, but whoever each was partnered with determined how much floor time a particular pairing received.  Mikey was pretty sure that Master Splinter didn’t even realize it worked out like that and none of the brothers had ever thought much about it either.

           Only Mikey believed that Raph did think about it and that was why he always tried to make sure he was next to Leo.  It didn’t work out for him a hundred percent of the time, but it was pretty close.  Mikey was sure that Raph probably figured this was one of those random days where someone else got next to Leo.  He no doubt wrote it off as no big deal, seeing as how Mikey and Leo had begun practicing earlier than anyone else.

           Mikey’s job was to make Raph start to question just how random the pairing setup actually was.

           His opening gambit was to kneel especially close to Leo.  Master Splinter called Raph and Don to the floor first.  As they walked onto the mats, Raph glanced towards Leo and then did a double take, his eyes narrowing when he saw that Mikey was practically in Leo’s lap.  Don had come to a stop, turning to face his brother, and Raph nearly ran into him.

           “Raphael, is something on the other side of the room more important than your training?” Master Splinter snapped.

           “No, sensei.  Sorry, sensei,” Raph said, looking properly chagrined.

           “Good,” Master Splinter said.  “Begin.”

           The beginning bouts were normally without weapons and was good practice for perfecting holds and throws.  Raph liked to grapple and when he and Leo went against one another, it was him trying to use strength against Leo’s quicker movements.  That strategy didn’t work as well against Donatello, who was strong in his own right.

           Defeating Donny meant trying to outguess what his thought process was on that specific day.  Don had a tendency to overthink his moves, treating the dojo like a big chess board.  That worked up to a point, but then you had to let training and instinct guide you so that you could seize opportunity when it presented itself.

           As odd as it was, the more of Don’s brain that was partitioned off to work on a project, the better he fought.  It was like whatever part of his mind was left over to be devoted to training put _all_ of their intellect on an even playing field.

           Apparently Don’s current project was a doozy, because he was giving Raph a run for his money.  No one was going to be scolding Donny about not getting enough sleep.

           There was also a good chance that Raph’s game was off for some reason.

           Because Mikey was so intent on forcing Raph to acknowledge his feelings for Leo, the younger turtle was paying close attention to Raph’s body language.  Even while he was sparring, Raph couldn’t seem to help shooting quick glances in Leo’s direction.  Mikey saw that and when he realized that Raph was going to keep doing it, he decided to use those lapses against his brother.

           Breaking dojo decorum, Mikey leaned over to whisper an observation in Leo’s ear.

           It wasn’t a big enough breach to warrant notice from their father, nor did it seem to bother Leo, who nodded in agreement.  The effect on Raph though was nothing less than spectacular.

           He was right in the middle of a move and his step faltered, his head turning to look directly at the kneeling pair.  Don took immediate advantage by hooking his foot behind Raph’s heel and sending the larger turtle toppling to the floor.

           Mikey straightened and adopted his most angelic expression, appearing completely focused on the match.  Once Don had Raph down, he took advantage quickly, gripping Raph’s foot and twisting it until his brother tapped out.

           Red faced and disgruntled, Raph barely remembered to bow to his opponent before they left the floor.  When Mikey stood up for his bout against Leo, he saw that Raph was glowering at him.

           Thereafter Mikey paid him no mind.  Mikey’s total focus was on Leo and he was highly motivated.  What Mikey wanted more than anything was to make such a good showing, win or lose, that Leo couldn’t help but show him open admiration.

           Mikey managed it too.  Not only did their match last much longer than it usually did, but Mikey was so driven that he was hyper aware of every move that Leo made.  He was so aware that each tic of a muscle, every crook of a finger or tightening of skin began to telegraph what Leo was going to do and Mikey countered it with a precision that he rarely showed.

           Almost without realizing he’d done it, Mikey got the upper hand in their fight.  As Leo’s arms moved to deliver a strike, Mikey saw it happening almost in slow motion.  When one of Leo’s arms went down and the other up, Mikey leaped into the air and planted his foot squarely in the center of his brother’s unprotected chest.

           The blow caught Leo off guard and knocked him back on his shell.  Mikey swiftly jumped on him, twining his legs around Leo’s and pinning his arms above his head.

           That position naturally put Mikey’s face close to Leo’s.  Grinning, he stared expectantly into his brother’s eyes.  They were both breathing hard and even though he was well and truly caught, Leo tried to squirm out of the hold.

           Mikey found that he was enjoying the feeling of having his brother wriggling against him.  Getting to dominate Leo in a fight was something that was usually in Raph’s wheelhouse and Mikey had to admit it had its attractions.

           From across the room Mikey heard a low pitched growl.

           Leonardo’s knuckles immediately tapped the floor mat.  Still wearing a triumphant grin, Mikey got off of his brother and helped him up.

           “Excellent match, Michelangelo,” Master Splinter said, a pleased look on his face.  “Your focus and awareness were above reproach.  Yours as well, Leonardo.  Remember, a split second is all it takes for an opponent to see and take advantage of even the slightest weakness.”

           Both of the turtles bowed to each other and then their father before leaving the floor.  Mikey could practically feel Raph’s gaze burning holes in him as he walked past.

           Though he studiously avoided looking at Raph, Mikey couldn’t resist giving Don a quick glance.  Donatello caught his eyes and offered him a nearly imperceptible nod of approval.

           Mikey’s heart jumped in his chest and he practically floated down to his kneeling position.  Master Splinter’s praise had felt great, but Don’s recognition made him feel ten feet tall.

           Master Splinter spent a few minutes reviewing the two matches and then called Leo and Raph to the floor.  Mikey watched them eagerly, wondering what effect his actions so far would have on the pair.

           Leo seemed unperturbed but Raph was as tense as a kitten in a roomful of rocking chairs.  His fists were clenched and his body spring loaded.  When Master Splinter called a start to their match, Raph launched himself at Leo as though he were rocket propelled.

           It might have been Mikey’s fertile imagination, but he could swear that the air around the pair was electrified.  He could practically see sparks coming off of them whenever their bodies connected and that happened a lot.  Neither was trying to avoid contact, they fought with a physicality that was unusual for the duo.  Usually Raph was the brawler while Leo’s moves were predicated on more thoughtful refinement.  And staying out of Raph’s clutches.

           As the match progressed, Mikey could see that Leo was becoming more calculated, while Raph was letting his frustration slow him down.  Each time he seemed to have Leo in his clutches, the older turtle would slip free.  However, he did so in a way that caused Raph’s hands to slide across his skin, almost as if he was giving Raph a teasing taste.

           If that was part of Leo’s overall strategy, it was working well.  Raph’s composure was slipping further, his attacks becoming rash and ill-conceived.  Master Splinter had begun to frown, looking more puzzled than disturbed.  Leonardo, whose emotions were always hard to read, suddenly had a triumphant glint in his eyes.

           As Raph bore down on him again, Leo stood his ground, making no attempt to move.  His hands came up, as though he was going to meet Raph head on, and that caused Raph to lift his arms as well.

           It was clear that Raph meant to let Leo punch him in order to grab hold of the other turtle’s shoulders and drive him to the floor.  What he didn’t expect was for Leo to duck under those grasping arms at the last second, throw his shoulder into Raph’s solar plexus and lift him off his feet.

           Raph’s own momentum helped Leo pick him up and then all Leo had to do was fall forward, carrying Raph with him.  They hit the floor together, with Leo on top, and he quickly crawled up to jab at pressure points that would momentarily freeze Raph’s upper body.

           It was never a good idea to give Leo the opportunity to use his expertise with pressure points, and as soon as he found that he couldn’t move, the look on Raph’s face said he understood his mistake.

           Mikey bent forward, avidly watching the tableau.  Leo was straddling Raph’s hips, his hands pressed against his brother’s sides.  Very slowly he leaned forward, his hands sliding along Raph’s skin, up onto his chest, then neck, before cupping the prone turtle’s cheeks.

           “Do you yield?” Leo asked, his voice husky and low.

           Raph glared at him.  “Fuck you,” he muttered.

           “What was that?” Leo asked, moving closer, his eyes boring into Raph’s.

           “Fuck you!” Raph all but shouted.

           “Raphael,” Master Splinter said sharply.  “Yield with good grace.  You are beaten.”

           Gaze still locked with Leo’s, Raph went silent, one corner of his mouth lifted in a snarl.  Then Leo shifted slightly, rocking on Raph’s hips and sliding his toes under his brother’s thighs.

           “I yield!” Raph suddenly yelped, his bottom lifting from the floor as though trying to buck his brother off of him.

           Leo rose slowly, stepping back and away from Raph without offering a hand up, even though the feeling was returning to his brother’s upper extremities.  Raph sat up and lifted his knees but made no attempt to stand, instead making a great show of flexing his arms.

           Mikey had a pretty good idea as to why Raph wasn’t ready to get right up, and why he was sitting so that his legs blocked the view of other parts of his anatomy.

           No one said anything as they waited.  Master Splinter seemed to believe that Raph was simply waiting for the feeling to return, because their sensei did not look suspicious, just dissatisfied.

           When Raph finally got up, he made a curt bow to Leo, which was returned in a more formal fashion.  Then they turned to bow to their father, whose lips were pursed in a way that meant serious business.

           After all four of his sons were once again kneeling, Master Splinter walked over to stand before them.

           Taking a deep, calming breath, Master Splinter said, “Three of you acquitted yourselves well today.  You were focused, concentrated, and dogged.  Skill is not always the determining factor in a fight, oftentimes it is the combatant who sees and takes advantage of their enemy’s lapses who wins the day.  If you are the one who allows yourself to be distracted, then any level of opponent can benefit.  I believe that is enough training for today, you are dismissed.  All but Raphael.  Please remain here.”

           The other three turtles rose and bowed before making their way out of the dojo.  Before they were out of earshot, Mikey said loudly, “I volunteer to make breakfast.  What do you want, Leo?  I’ll make your favorite.”

           He had no opportunity to see how Raph reacted to that, but Mikey was certain he’d scored a hit.  Mikey made sure to follow through with the breakfast offer, because he knew that later Raph would notice.

           Throughout the day Mikey did his best to stay within Leo’s orbit, being careful not to seem as though he was following Leo around, but that he was only interested in Leo’s activities.  They even watched the afternoon news broadcast together, with Mikey going out of his way to make salient observations about the headlines.

           He saw Raph walk past them as they sat together on the couch, and a little while later make another pass.  Mikey turned sideways on the couch so that he had one leg curled under him, his knee nearly touching Leo’s thigh.  With one arm curved over the back of the couch behind Leo, Mikey leaned in to engage his brother in a lively conversation.

           Raph was practically pacing by the time the news ended.  He had started off near the second level, where the televisions were, but wound up on the third level overlooking the media area and the couch.

           When Leo excused himself to go to his room and meditate, Mikey remained where he was, carefully avoiding looking towards Raph.  As soon as it seemed that Mikey was going to stay put, Raph came back downstairs again and headed straight for his punching bag.

           Mikey let him burn off some steam before getting up and going downstairs as well.  He saw Raph hesitate as Mikey drew near him, but when the younger turtle went past on his way to the service bay, the rhythm of punches started up again.

           Don was seated at one of his work benches, a soldering iron in one hand and a circuit board in the other.

           “Whatcha’ doing, Donny?” Mikey asked.

           “Trying to turn this into something that actually works,” Don said.  He set the items down and turned in his chair.  “And what are you up to?”

           “Just chilling,” Mikey said with a shrug.

           “Uh huh,” Don said, sounding suspicious.  “Why don’t I believe that?”

           “I don’t know, Donny,” Mikey said.  “I thought you had a more trusting nature.”

           “Not where you’re involved,” Don said.

           “Moi?  I’m a complete open book,” Mikey said.  He figured enough time had passed for the next part of his plan and began walking back towards the lair proper.  “I’ll just leave you to it.  Catch you later.”

           Don watched him go, eyes narrowed in thought.  Mikey would worry later about the genius, at the moment he had an important item on his agenda.

           He began whistling before he drew within sight of Raph and kept it up as he sailed past, thus ensuring that he had caught his brother’s attention.  Mikey jogged up the stairs, growing quiet as he made directly for Leo’s bedroom.

           Tapping gently on the door, Mikey didn’t wait for an invitation, instead turning the knob and stepping inside after a half second.  Closing the door behind him, he saw that he’d given Leo enough time to set up his candles and situate himself on the floor.

           Leo’s eyes opened when Mikey came in.  “Something you need, Mikey?”

           “Thought I’d meditate with you, if that’s okay,” Mikey said, sitting next to Leo.

           His brother looked at him in surprise.  “You hate meditating.”

           “This is my ‘imitate Leo day’,” Mikey said.  “If I wanna be better and more focused, I’ve gotta be more into my own head, right?  I’ve gotta understand myself.  Be one with my inner self.  That’s what you do, isn’t it?”

           “Not quite,” Leo said.  “It’s more about making peace with the energies around you.  Becoming one with both the external and internal universe.”

           “Not sure I’m ready for a whole universe,” Mikey said.  “My brain kinda jumps all over the place.  I’ll be happy to learn how to keep it all on one track.”

           “Then don’t try to control your thoughts,” Leo said, closing his eyes.  “Let all of those thoughts out and then look at them one by one.  Allow them all to fall into place on their own.”

           “You have a lot of confidence in my thoughts,” Mikey said dryly, shutting his eyes as well.

           They both fell silent.  Mikey wasn’t really buying into the whole making peace with stuff, but he did have to wonder what it was that Leo even thought about.  His older brother could sit for hours like this, perfectly still and completely relaxed.

           Mikey had talked to Don once about what he did during meditation, because the genius could go into a trance as fast as Leo did.  Don had admitted that his thoughts usually turned towards his work, on the mechanics of the things he wanted to do, or on more esoteric concepts.

           Don and Leo were similar in the whole cerebral department.  For Mikey and Raph life was more of a visceral thing.  They didn’t dwell on abstruse notions, they focused on what was right in front of them, like day to day living.

           When Master Splinter forced him to meditate, Mikey usually just told himself stories, letting his imagination create scenarios in which he battled alongside the Justice Force as a super hero, earning accolades from the citizenry.  It was an enjoyable way to pass the time and it made Master Splinter happy.

           Right now all Mikey needed to do was stay in Leo’s room long enough to worry Raphael.  Mikey was actually surprised at how little effort he’d had to make to get Raph’s hackles up.  He was sure it would have taken more than a day for Raph to start feeling worried or jealous.  If that growl Mikey had heard during practice when he’d pinned Leo down was any indication, Raph was already feeling like his little brother was encroaching on his territory.

           Mikey opened one eye and peeked over at Leo.  He took a moment to study his brother critically, trying to see the attraction.  Leo was nice enough looking as far as mutant turtles went, leaner than Raph but still having good muscle definition.  Not bad skin color either, though Mikey thought that Donatello’s olive toned skin was the nicest of the bunch.

           Raph’s sported the biggest muscle mass of the group, but that was because he worked hard to pump himself up.  Donny didn’t even try, his muscles came from good honest labor.

           Turning his mind towards their personalities, Mikey pondered his two alpha brothers.  The responsibility of leadership meant that Leo was pretty serious all of the time, making him kind of uptight.  Raph on the other hand was a victim of his own mood swings and tended to be volatile.  To Mikey neither of them would be much fun in the long run, but they certainly saw something in each other that got their motors running.

           As far as Mikey was concerned, Don had the best personality.  His emotions were almost always on an even keel, he was generous and thoughtful, smart and funny.  He did everything for his family and asked nothing in return.  Let Leo and Raph have each other, just so long as they left Donny out of it.

           Mikey remembered what Leo had told him during his rematch against Kluh.  Leo had said, _“In this life, we only have each other.”_

           All Mikey had been troubled with at the time was trying to figure a way out of the grudge match, so he hadn’t paid much attention to his brother’s words of wisdom.  They made more sense to him now.  They really did only have each other; they were the only four of their kind.  Because of that, they had to be _all_ things to each other.

           That epiphany gave Mikey a strange feeling and he opened his eyes.  More than enough time had passed and he didn’t want to sit there any longer with those uncomfortable realizations running through his mind.

           Very quietly he stood up and tiptoed to the door.  Leo was so far into his meditation that Mikey could have stomped across the room without drawing his notice.  Moving silently seemed to better fit the mood Mikey was in.

           He opened the door carefully and backed out of the room, pulling the door shut again with barely a click.

           When Mikey turned to head for the stairs, he ran smack into Raphael.

           In a deeply menacing tone, Raph asked, “Ya’ want to tell me what you’re up to?”

TBC…..


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 3,377 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Mikey’s first thought after being accosted by Raph was, _“Guess I wasn’t subtle enough.”_

            The next was that his brother was fishing and if Mikey wanted to keep him off balance, then he needed to go on the offensive.

            “Is there some reason I keep tripping over you?” Mikey asked.  “I mean, you’ve made it really clear the last couple of days that I’m persona non grata, so I’m trying to stay out of your way.  Problem is, every time I’ve looked up, there you are glaring at me.  What’s the deal?”

            It was clear that he had managed to catch Raph off guard.  His brother stared at him, his expression more perplexed than angry.  The scowl returned soon enough.

            “Ya’ been all over Leo today,” Raph said.  “It’s almost like you’re trying to be Leo’s mini-me.  What’s your angle?  Ya’ trying to get him pissed at me for some reason?”

            _“Gotcha,”_ Mikey thought to himself.  Out loud he said, “Not everything is about you, Raphie boy.  Why would I even bother with that when you do such a spectacular job of aggravating Leo all by yourself?”

            “Don’t ya’ fucking lie to me,” Raph said.  “Ya’ seem to be nearby whenever me and Leo get into it.  Our fights ain’t for your amusement.”

            “They kinda are,” Mikey said, playing into Raph’s new notion that he had a hand in instigating their fights.  “I mean, they are kind of pointless.  Why shouldn’t I be curious?”

            “Curious ain’t the same thing as trying to poke the hornet’s nest,” Raph said.

            Mikey shrugged.  “You seem to be the only one who’s bothered by me.  Since when does it matter to you whether Leo’s annoyed or not?”

            “It don’t,” Raph said firmly.

            “Then why’d you jump me as soon as I stepped out of his room?” Mikey asked.  “Geez, make up your mind.  No wonder you couldn’t fight well today.  Maybe you should try meditating too.  Bet Leo wouldn’t mind if you went on in there and joined him.”

            He gestured towards Leo’s door, more as a reminder of where they were standing and that Leo was within earshot.  Mikey was sure Raph’s pride wouldn’t allow him to go inside, but it was interesting to see such a show of indecision on the hot head’s face.

            Pride won and Raph stormed past Mikey, making certain to slam his shoulder into the younger turtle’s as he did so.  On the off chance that Raph glanced back at him, Mikey kept his smile of satisfaction internal.

            “Catastrophe averted,” Mikey muttered under his breath.

            He heard the television array come to life, the sound turned up a little louder than necessary.  That was either Raph’s way of trying to attract Leo’s attention, or a ‘screw you’ to Mikey.  Maybe both.

            Heading downstairs, Mikey went the long way around to get to the kitchen, thus avoiding drawing Raph’s attention again.  Far from finished with his gambit to evoke Raph’s jealousy, Mikey chose to make one of Leo’s favorite meals for dinner.

            It was supposed to be Don’s turn to make dinner, but there was no sign of him.  That wasn’t unusual or even surprising.  Master Splinter had actually created a special rule with Donny in mind.  That rule was to go pull him from whatever he was working on and remind him that he had a chore to do.

            Since Mikey was willing, and if he was honest, needed to make dinner as part of what he’d dubbed ‘Operation Sex’, he didn’t bother Don.  As Mikey was putting the final ingredients together, he heard the news come on and looked up just as Leo came out of his room.

            Mikey started to wave to his brother, but Leo’s attention was fixed on the living area.  When he started moving in that direction, Mikey figured out why Raph had changed channels.  He knew he’d draw Leo to him.

            Maybe Mikey’s plan was working after all.  If Raph was truly pissed at Leo and wanted nothing to do with him, there was no way he’d give up one of his shows in order to watch the news.  Raph hated the news, he always said it was all bad and that it ticked him off.

            Curious, Mikey tiptoed to a position where he could see the couch.  Sure enough, Raph and Leo were sitting side-by-side, both seemingly engrossed in the weather report.

            Chuckling to himself, Mikey went back to his dinner preparations.  His brothers weren’t just sitting on the couch together.  If things were normal, they’d each be sitting on opposite ends.  They weren’t though, the pair were sitting close enough to feel each other’s body heat.

            Sliding the pan into the oven, Mikey washed his hands while toying with the idea of seeing if he could squeeze in between them.  He nixed that notion as being way too obvious and instead went in search of Donatello.

            The genius was not hard to find.  He was exactly where Mikey had left him earlier; in the service bay.

            Mikey had learned the hard way not to sneak up on Don when he was working, but there was something furtive in how his brother was hunched over his work station.  The tarp over Don’s secret project had been disarranged and Mikey could see that whatever it was sat atop a table.  What looked very much like a game controller was also visible.

            Practicing his stealth technique, Mikey silently approached Don.  Still several feet away, he could see robotic parts strewn about and what appeared to be a tiny but very long tail was in Don’s hands.

            Before he could get close enough for a really good look, a bell tinkled and Don jerked around in his chair.

            Mikey paused in mid-step and offered Don a sheepish grin.  “What was that?”

            Placing a large towel over his work station, Don said.  “You broke an electronic beam connected to an alarm that sounds an alert whenever someone is trying to creep up on me.”

            “Aw come on, Donny,” Mikey said in his most wheedling tone.  “Show me your project.  I won’t tell anyone else.  Besides, I already saw a controller over there on the table and the robot parts you just hid under the towel.”

            Don’s eyes narrowed.  “You are too nosy for your own good.  This is supposed to be a surprise for everyone.”

            “So surprise me early,” Mikey said.  “Maybe I can help with something.  You never let me help.  I’m really good with my hands.”

            “What you’re really good at is pressing buttons that you shouldn’t press,” Don said.

            “Total accident,” Mikey said.  “I didn’t hurt the Battle Shell.  You can’t hold that over me forever.  Nothing important got damaged.”

            “And playing with shiny things you know nothing about,” Don said.

            “We’d never have saved Sydney and the gang if I hadn’t done that,” Mikey countered.  “Besides, who do you think magnanimously made dinner tonight even though it was your turn?”

            “Oh crud, I completely forgot!” Don exclaimed.  “Master Splinter is going to kill me.”

            “No he won’t, he was nowhere around,” Mikey said with a complacent purr.  “We’ll let him think you made dinner.”

            He stared expectantly at his brother, who sighed.  “Just as long as I share my secret with you,” Don said, finishing the sentence for him.

            Mikey graciously waved that away.  “Shush, I would never resort to blackmail.”

            “Of course you wouldn’t,” Don said.  “You’d just guilt trip me until I gave in.”

            “So give in now and save yourself the headache,” Mikey told him.

            Don’s jaw worked from side to side, a sure sign that he was about to acquiesce.  Mikey waited patiently, careful not to look too pleased with himself.

            “Okay fine, but not a word to anyone else, got that?” Don asked.

            Mikey swiped an X across his chest.  “Cross my heart.  Lemme see.”

            Lifting the towel, Don showed Mikey what was underneath.  The portion of tail he’d seen was attached to a small mechanical reptile.

            “It’s a lizard,” Mikey said, surprised.

            “Technically, it’s an Italian Wall Lizard,” Don said.  “They’re mostly abundant throughout the two boroughs on Long Island, but they’re spreading through the other boroughs as well.  They were accidently released from a pet shop in nineteen-sixty six.”

            “But Donny, why are you building lizards?” Mikey asked.

            “Because they can go just about anywhere and be completely unnoticed,” Don answered.  “The ones I’m making are replicas of juvenile Wall lizards because the youngsters don’t have the green coloring down their backs.  Their tan coloring blends well against most backgrounds.”

            “And once more I have to ask, why?”  Mikey leaned over to touch the lizard’s tail and then jumped back when the appendage flicked his finger.

            “Unlike rodents, the lizards don’t engender the same panicked reaction if they’re seen,” Don said.  “People just think they’re cute and leave them alone when they scurry away.  I’ve installed surveillance equipment in each of the five that I’ve completed.”

            “Is the controller for the lizards?” Mikey asked.

            “One controller can operate two lizards,” Don said.  “It’s all about frequency.  These little guys can be set to automatic so they can patrol a set pattern in the tunnels, or you can manually operate them with the controller.  They’re able to climb walls and stick to them, crawl anywhere, and squeeze into tight spaces.  They’ll never set off security systems, even heat sensors, because they run cool.”

            “This is awesome, bro’,” Mikey said.  “Can I test one?”

            Don glanced towards the lair.  “Depends on where Leo and Raph are.  I don’t want them to stumble across the project until I’ve finished at least ten lizards.”

            “They’re watching TV,” Mikey said, gingerly reaching to pick up the lizard.  It bit his finger.  “Hey!”

            “They’re programmed to react like real lizards,” Don said.  “If they can’t escape, they’ll fight back.”

            “Not much of a fight though,” Mikey said.  “It didn’t hurt.”

            “All it’s meant to do is startle someone into dropping them,” Don said.  “They can survive a ten foot drop without damage.  I thought Leo and Raph were avoiding each other.”

            “Raph tell you that?” Mikey asked.

            “Raph hasn’t told me anything, not even why they’re fighting so much,” Don said, frowning.

            “Me either,” Mikey said.  It was the truth.  “I’ve tried to ask him, but he tells me to go someplace I’d rather not go.”

            “Is that why you’ve been so chummy with Leo today?  You’re trying to find out what’s up with those two?” Don asked, his expression a little too innocent appearing.

            The way he asked that caught Mikey’s attention.  Don usually straight out asked what he wanted to know and never had a hidden agenda to his questions.  He understood Mikey well enough to know that the younger turtle was always trying to ferret out any secrets family members might be keeping.  Don shouldn’t even have had to ask.

            But he had and Mikey wondered why.

            “Maybe,” Mikey said, drawing out the syllables in that one word.

            He was purposely vague in the hopes that it would draw something else out of Don.  Instead of continuing the conversation, Don stood up and went to the tarp covered table to retrieve the controller that Mikey had seen.

            “Here, let me show you how to guide the lizard,” Don said.

            Standing shoulder to shoulder with Mikey, he did a quick walk through of the controls, which weren’t very different from operating one of their video games.  A little pop up screen showed exactly what the mechanical lizard saw and a volume function allowed the user to hear everything as well.

            After Don set the lizard on the ground, he moved back to Mikey’s side.  Don’s hands hovered near his younger brother’s as Mikey guided the lizard through a series of commands.  Leaning in close, Don watched the screen with Mikey so they could both see images from the spy lizard’s point of view.

            Mikey was adept enough with a controller that he didn’t have to pay strict attention to what Don was telling him.  He couldn’t have if he’d tried; having Don so close to him was slightly intoxicating.  Not only did Don smell really good, but his touch was electrifying, especially to certain parts of Mikey’s anatomy.

            When he found himself asking for clarification on a control he didn’t really need help with, Mikey realized that he was using excuses to keep Don near.  Then Don reached around him to put a hand on Mikey’s shoulder, pulling half of the younger turtle’s body flush against his chest.

            Donatello was merely trying to help adjust a setting, but Mikey had a startling physical reaction to the contact.  His tail stiffened, heart began beating faster, and a very specific kind of heat started to pool in his lower extremities.

            Flushed, Mikey suddenly recognized the signs of arousal with a great deal of embarrassment.  He had to get away fast, before Don noticed.

            “Shell!  I forgot that I’ve got something in the oven!” Mikey yelped, shoving the controller into Don’s hand and spinning out of his hold.  Practically running up the stairs, he tossed back over his shoulder, “Thanks for showing that to me.  I’ll keep it to myself.”

            Mikey made a beeline for the kitchen and straight to the catch all drawer.  Inside was a full length apron, inscribed with the words ‘Kiss the Chef’.  He donned the apron as quickly as he could in order to hide the fact that he was sporting a half hard woody beneath his shell.

            Turning on the tap, Mikey splashed cold water over his neck, face, and arms.  Eyes closed, he reached for the towel and encountered skin instead.

            Opening his eyes, he saw Don standing next to him.

            “Are you okay, Mikey?” Don asked as he handed the towel to his brother.

            “Yep, doing just fine,” Mikey said.  “Just wanted to make sure I didn’t have any metal flakes or dirt on me before I handled food.  Why are you here?”

            Don’s eye ridges lifted.  “Because it’s my turn to cook and I missed the first part of dinner prep.  I don’t want to shirk the rest of my duties.”

            “Cool,” Mikey said.  “I was gonna toss a salad.  You wanna take care of that?”

            “Sure.”  Don went to the refrigerator to retrieve the vegetables and Mikey took a deep breath, releasing it slowly.

            He made sure to stay as far from Don in their small kitchen as he could, without seeming too obvious about it.  _“I wonder if this is how Leo and Raph feel when they get close to each other,”_ Mikey pondered as he set the table.

            Throughout dinner Mikey surreptitiously watched Don.  There was no denying that he had a thing for the genius.  Even if he hadn’t understood the signs of attraction before, there was no escaping them now.

            Mikey thought back over their conversation, and the way Don had sounded when he’d asked about Leo.  Was it possible that in his attempts to make Raph jealous, he’d also activated a similar feeling in Donatello?

            It was probably wishful thinking, Mikey told himself.  He was seeing things that weren’t there because his vision was skewed by what was going on between Raph and Leo.

            A couple of hours later Don was back in the service bay and Mikey was feeling out of sorts.  Leo had gone to his room to read a book, and Raph was busy sanding the rust off some free weights he’d found.

            Master Splinter had co-opted the television array and was watching a group of people competing against an obstacle course for a chance to win money.  He found the show to be endlessly amusing, probably because of how easily he or any of his sons could have beaten the course.

            Mikey had never heard his father express such an opinion because he wouldn’t ever make light of anyone else’s limitations, especially not a humans’.  At least not out loud.  It was fun to watch his facial expression though, so Mikey joined him.

            A while later Raph could be heard tossing some things around and then cursing.  Master Splinter frowned, so Mikey got off the couch and went partway down the stairs to find out the problem.

            “Uh Raph, Master Splinter can hear you,” Mikey said, trying to warn his brother.

            “Well shi . . . crud,” Raph replied, changing his word choice mid-stream.  “Have ya’ seen my red stretch wrap?  I need to wrap these damn handles and it’s disappeared.”

            “Haven’t see it, haven’t touched it,” Mikey said.  “Maybe it’s in the service bay.”

            “It’s not in the service bay,” Raph snapped.  “It’s never in the service bay.  It’s always right here with the rest of my weight equipment.”

            From the corner of his eye, Mikey could see Leo come out of his room.  “Don’t get mad at me,” Mikey told Raph.  “I was trying to help.”

            “I’ve got stretch wrap in my room,” Leo said.

            His arms were crossed and he was staring at Raph, who turned his attention from Mikey in favor of glaring at his oldest brother.

            “Is it mine?” Raph asked.

            “No,” Leo said.

            Raph waited a moment but it was clear no other response was forthcoming.  “So what was that, a public service announcement?  Ya’ gonna give me the wrap or just stand there looking pleased with yourself?”

            “I’ll have to look for it,” Leo said.  “Since you want it, you should come up here and help me look.”

            From the expression on Raph’s face, it was obvious he wanted to tell Leo where to shove the wrap.  He was also struggling with the desire to find out if the wrap that Leo claimed to have _was_ actually his.

            Curiosity won.  Raph stomped across the lair towards Leo’s room and just before he got there, Leo went inside.  There was no hesitation on Raph’s part as he entered the bedroom, and then Mikey watched the door swing shut.

            Because it had quieted down, Master Splinter had returned to watching his show.  Mikey on the other hand was dying to know what was going on behind that closed door, but there was no way he could eavesdrop with his father so close.

            The whole ‘missing wrap, come to my room’ shtick was just too pat.  They had all known that Raph was going to work on those weights and that he always wrapped the handles with red tape.

            Mikey didn’t know when Leo had found the opportunity to disappear the wrap.  He’d been glued to Leonardo for most of the day.  There was no doubt in Mikey’s mind that Leo had been responsible.  Being the master of stealth that he was, he had somehow managed to elude Mikey long enough to put his plan into action.

            All of that passed through Mikey’s brain as he went downstairs and towards the service bay.  It wasn’t until the moving van came into view that it dawned on him why he was going in that direction.

            Switching to ninja mode, Mikey crept to the head of the stairs and looked around for Donny.  He couldn’t see his brother, but he could hear him working on something in the van’s cab.

            Taking a chance, Mikey slunk down the stairs.  Just in time he remembered the electronic beam and stepped over it as he approached the tarp covered table.

            Carefully lifting the tarp, Mikey swiped the controller and the lizard he had tested earlier.  Something banged behind him and Mikey almost jumped out of his shell, but a quick look proved that Don hadn’t spotted him.

            Mikey practically flew across the service bay and back into the lair proper.  He swiftly ducked into the bathroom, locking the door behind him and then setting the mechanical lizard on the ground.

            It slipped under the door as easily as Don had said it would.  Mikey manipulated the controls, sending the lizard straight to Leo’s room.

            As the lizard crawled under Leo’s bedroom door, Mikey licked his lips and took a seat on the toilet lid.  Invading his brothers’ privacy did not give him a second thought.

            The only thing that caused him any concern was knowing that if Don caught him, he was dead meat.

TBC……………


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 4,185 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

            Getting the mechanical lizard into a position where it could see something was trickier than Mikey had imagined.

            When he’d practiced with it earlier, he hadn’t been trying to view anything in particular.  Now he needed to get the lizard’s tiny little camera turned in the right direction.  Working the control for its head, he made it swivel so he could get some idea of where his brothers were.

            An emerald green foot came into viewing range and then stepped out of it again.  Raph was moving around and that meant Leo was probably moving too.

            Locating the nearest wall, Mikey sent the lizard crawling upwards.  When it was near the ceiling, he made it turn so that it could look down at the room.  From that position Mikey could see nearly every square inch of Leo’s space.

            A flick of his thumb turned up the volume control in time for him to hear Raph griping.

            “Your room ain’t all that big and there ain’t a single thing out of place,” Raph said.  “Are ya’ seriously gonna keep acting like ya’ don’t know where my wrap is?”

            “I told you, we’re looking for _my_ wrap,” Leo said, opening one of his desk drawers.

            Raph’s scowl deepened and Mikey knew why.  Leo wouldn’t lie outright, but he was a master at being evasive.

            “Why don’t ya’ just admit it, Leo?  Ya’ took my wrap ‘cause ya’ get your jollies from pissing me off,” Raph snapped.

            “Found it,” Leo said, his manner calm as he held up a roll of stretch wrap.

            “Are ya’ fucking serious?” Raph asked.  “That’s blue.”

            “I told you the stretch wrap was mine, not yours,” Leo said.  He began walking towards Raph as he bounced the wrap in his hand.

            “If you’d said it was blue in the first place, I wouldn’t have wasted my time coming up here,” Raph said.  “I ain’t wrapping my weights in that color.”

            “What’s wrong with this color?” Leo asked, stepping into Raph’s personal space.

            Raph held his ground.  “For one thing, it matches your damn mask.  There ain’t no way I want to be reminded of ya’ every time I pick up one of those weights.”

            “There are worse things you could be thinking about,” Leo said.  “Maybe seeing blue instead of red will calm some of your poorest impulses.”

            “Seeing blue has the opposite effect,” Raph growled.  “All it does is remind me of your ugly mug up in my face all the time.”

            Mikey was barely remembering to breathe as he watched and listened to them.  The sniping at each other and the insults were par for the course, but their body language was fascinating.

            Raph’s hands weren’t curled into fists as they usually were when he was angry at Leo.  Instead, they were open, the fingers spread and curved as though he was wrestling with the temptation to grab at something.

            For his part, Leo’s body wasn’t full of the aggravated tension he normally exhibited when facing his belligerent brother.  He seemed more the way he was at the start of a sparring match; alert and poised to spring.

            _“Kind of like a tiger with its prey,”_ Mikey thought.

            “I think losing your red wrap was a sign,” Leo said.  “A message of sorts.  Like the one at practice today.  The one that forced you to yield to me.”

            Raph spluttered angrily.  “It was your dirty tricks that made me yield!  Crawling on me, feeling on me, using pressure points to get your way.  Why don’t ya’ just admit that ya’ hate the fact that in a fair fight I can take ya’!”

            Now Leo did begin to tense up.  If there was anything that would set him off, it was having his sense of fair play, his honor, questioned.

            “You wouldn’t recognize tactics if they bit you in the rear end,” Leo said.

            “Ass,” Raph hissed.  “The word is ass.  Are ya’ so uptight ya’ can’t even say it?  It’s ‘bit ya’ in the ass’ just like ‘I’m gonna kick your ass’.”

            “You’ve been doing a spectacular job of that lately,” Leo said with a sneer.  “I’m starting to think you like having me pin you down.”  He shuffled closer to Raph, to the point that their bodies were almost touching.  “Do you want me to pin you right now?”

            Mikey’s eyes widened.  The way they were arguing was in complete contrast to the way they looked.  Both of his brothers’ nostrils were flaring, their tails stiff, and from the way their chests rose and fell, they were breathing faster.

            If he hadn’t experienced it for himself with Don a little while ago, Mikey might not have recognized the signs for what they were.  Leo and Raph were getting more turned on with each passing second.

            “I’d like to see ya’ try,” Raph responded.

            The words had barely left his mouth when Leo tossed the roll of wrap in his face and then swept his feet out from under him.  As he hit the floor, Leo fell on him, pulling Raph’s wrists above his head.

            It was a lightning fast move, one that Raph clearly had not expected.  He was the one who was usually the aggressor when their arguments became physical, starting the fight by charging at Leo.

            Having Leo knock him down like that, without a word of warning, took him by surprise.  It surprised Mikey too.

            When Raph tried to free his arms, Leo leaned in and bit his neck.

            Raph’s gasp was loud.  His legs went rigid, his heels digging at the floor, but he made no attempt to buck Leo off of him.  He seemed frozen with indecision.

            With his teeth still gripping Raph’s skin, Leo kept one hand on his brother’s wrists and snatched up the stretch wrap.  In a move that would have made a rodeo cowboy proud, Leo wound the wrap around Raph’s wrists.

            “Ya’ son of a bitch,” Raph barked, yanking against the restraint.

            “I think I like you this way,” Leo said, practically purring in Raph’s ear.

            “Always got to win, don’t ya?  Always got to prove something,” Raph said.

            “You’re always fighting me,” Leo replied.  “Rebellious.”

            “So is this ya’ trying to prove something to me?” Raph asked.

            “Why don’t you just admit you knew your wrap wasn’t in this room?” Leo countered.  “Admit you followed me in here because you wanted to be in this position.”

            “You’re the one who asked me to come in here,” Raph said, staring defiantly up at Leo.  “I’d say you’re the one with the ulterior motive.”

            Leo rubbed his cheek against Raph’s.  Keeping one hand on his brother’s bound wrists, Leo slid the other down Raph’s arm, then along his side, all the way down to his taut, muscular thigh.

            “Is this the ulterior motive you were hoping for?” Leo whispered as he squeezed Raph’s thigh.

            “Hngg, Leo, shit!” Raph yelped.

            Leo flicked his tongue against Raph’s chin.  “Was that curse word in protest, or encouragement?”

            “I ain’t your bitch,” Raph snarled.

            “I don’t want a bitch,” Leo said.  “I want you.”

            He lowered his mouth until it was nearly touching Raph’s and then stopped.  For a long moment the only thing moving between them was their eyes, and those were doing a lot of talking.

            Mikey’s entire body was quivering with excitement as he watched them.  He had been growing more and more aroused at the sight of his brothers behaving in such an erotic fashion.

            Then Raph lifted his head and planted his lips squarely against Leo’s.  Almost immediately Mikey saw tongue.

            Unable to contain it any longer, Mikey’s cock escaped captivity, quickly filling and standing at attention.

            “Oh shell,” Mikey breathed, rocking back and forth on the toilet seat as his entire lower half began to throb.

            He heard Raph groan and Leo churr.  The sounds made his dick jump.

            His brother’s mouths were moving together hungrily, as though they couldn’t get enough of each other’s taste.  Leo’s hand skimmed inward to clutch at Raph’s inner thigh, his fingertips grazing his brother’s groin.

            Leo was pushing at the floor with his toes, rocking his body up and down against Raph’s.  It was a parody of sex but close enough to the real thing that Mikey could sit still no longer. Jumping up from his seat, he set the controller down on the edge of the sink so it was facing him. He then flipped up the toilet lid and began to masturbate.

            Mikey watched as Leo’s knee prodded against the underside of Raph’s leg, urging him to widen the space between his thighs.  Their mouths separated long enough for deep, breathy sounds to escape, and then they were kissing again.

            Though Mikey could see Leo’s arm moving, his view of what exactly Leo was doing was hidden by his brother’s torso.  Whatever it was, he was making Raph’s hips gyrate.

            Too desperate for release, Mikey didn’t bother teasing his cock in an attempt to build the pleasure.  His hand moved frantically on his shaft, the skin slick with precum.

            He was no longer seeing Raph and Leo on the screen.  Mikey’s sex starved mind envisioned Don lying on top of him, holding him down so that he could play with his younger brother’s dick.  It was Don’s tongue invading his mouth, Don’s breath heating his neck while Don’s teeth left love bites on his skin.

            Breath huffing from his open mouth, Mikey moaned at the thought of being taken by Don.  The genius would know exactly what to do, he’d know just where to touch Mikey to bring him to the heights of pleasure.

            Delightful waves of pressure began to roll through his cock, the heat pooling at its base.  Mikey was close, so close.

            “Stop!” Raph grunted, tearing his mouth from Leo’s.  “Just stop.  I can’t do this.”

            “Don’t fight it,” Leo urged, breathing heavily.  “Let it happen.”

            Mikey closed his eyes, blood pounding in his ears so he couldn’t hear them.  With a last few frenetic pulls, he climaxed.

            His orgasm lasted for several long, beautiful minutes.  By the time Mikey had pumped his cock dry, he was shaking all over.

            The high pitched whine that echoed through his head at the moment he came faded away and Mikey once more glanced at the controller screen.  At some point while he was lost in the fog of his orgasm, Mikey had missed seeing Raph and Leo separate.

            Both were now standing several feet apart.  Raph’s wrists were no longer bound and he was staring at the ground, refusing to meet Leo’s eyes.

            Leo was watching him warily, almost as if afraid any sudden move would send Raph scurrying from the room.

            Mikey could easily see how aroused both of his brothers were.  Their slits had parted and portions of their cocks were quite visible.

            “Don’t ya’ get it, Leo?” Raph asked, his voice guttural.  “This is what always messes us up.  I let my emotions carry me away and don’t think before I do shit.  Ya’ respond to my anger by getting mad too.  If neither one of us is thinking straight, then maybe this . . . thing we were doing ain’t the way to go.”

            “Or maybe our fights are because we’re denying a desire for each other,” Leo argued.

            Raph barked out a frustrated laugh.  “Oh, I ain’t doubting that I got the hots for ya’.  It’s what gets my blood boiling that I gotta question.  It’s what gets ya’ fired up that I gotta worry about.”

            “What is that supposed to mean?” Leo demanded.

            “Pinning me down, getting the upper hand,” Raph said.  “It’s like you’re trying to dominate me.  I’ll bet ya’ jerk off at the thought of having me under your control.”

            “What do you jerk off to?” Leo asked.  “Me letting you do whatever you want?  Letting you walk all over me?”

            “You’re so full of shit,” Raph growled.  “Power hungry.  Mad for it.  Can’t stand to have your commands questioned!  Bet ya’ can’t get it up if ya’ ain’t lording it over me.”

            “You sure weren’t putting up much of a fight when my hand was between your legs,” Leo snapped.

            “Go to hell!” Raph yelled, his eyes flashing angrily.

            “I’m already there!” Leo shouted.

            Raph spun on his heel and charged to the door, yanking it open hard enough to bang it against the wall.  Leo didn’t move, his hands clenched at his sides and his neck red.

            Mikey was still standing at the toilet, one hand wrapped around his flaccid cock as he watched the fight play out to its end.  How in the world could those two have gone from . . . ?

            A fist hit the bathroom door, making Mikey jump.  “Who’s in there?  Get the hell out!  I need to use it!” Raph bellowed.

            “Shell,” Mikey cursed under his breath.  “Give me a second!” he called out, awkwardly tucking his dick back into hiding.

            “Ya’ got one and then I’m breaking the damn door!” Raph threatened.

            Washing his hands quickly, Mikey dried them on a towel and then wet it enough to wipe himself down.  Grabbing a wad of toilet paper, he cleaned the seat and then flushed before spraying air freshener all around the toilet.

            His eyes landed on the controller as Raph banged on the door again.  His brother would see it if he tried to carry it out of the bathroom.  Thinking fast, he turned it off and then wrapped the towel around it before shoving it far down in the dirty clothes hamper.

            The door bulged inwards as Mikey jumped for it.  When he threw back the latch and turned the knob, the door opened so fast it almost hit him in the face.

            “Get out,” Raph ordered in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

            Mikey said not a word as he darted out, the door slamming shut behind him.  There was no doubt in his mind that Raph was going to do what Mikey had just done.  Raph was too wound up.

            Making a beeline for his room, Mikey saw that Leo’s door was shut again.  He would lay odds that Leo wasn’t meditating.

            Once safely inside his own bedroom, Mikey threw himself down on the bed.  Klunk was already there and meowed a protest at being disturbed.

            “Sorry Klunk,” Mikey said, scratching behind the cat’s ears until he was purring.

            Klunk stretched and then sauntered over to settle down against Mikey’s leg.

            “You know what, buddy?  I don’t understand my brothers,” Mikey said, absently stroking his cat’s fur.  “One minute they’re at each other’s throats, then they’re making out.  A couple minutes later they’re yelling again.”

            There was a soft ‘meow’ from Klunk, as though he was urging Mikey to continue his soliloquy.

            “They jerk off thinking about each other,” Mikey said, his voice low and secretive.  “I’ve been spying on them.  What do you think about that?”

            Klunk made a noise in his throat that sounded like ‘ick, ick, ick’.

            “Yeah, probably not cool but I can’t help myself,” Mikey said.  “I mean, if I don’t know what’s going on, how am I gonna help them?  If I leave it all up to those two, they’ll never get together.”

            With a ‘murr’ Klunk rubbed his head against Mikey’s leg.

            “Well I think they need to get together,” Mikey said, as though Klunk had just questioned his motives.  “Why not?  Just ‘cause we’re mutated turtles doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to have a love life.”

            Klunk snuffled at his hand and Mikey scratched under his chin.

            “So what if we’re brothers?  Why should that make any difference?  It can’t be incest if we’re not human, right?  I mean, if that was the main problem, then either Raph or Leo would have brought it up during their fight, but they didn’t.  They were kissing!”

            The excitement in his voice made Klunk look up at him and knead the bedding with his claws.

            “True, right after that they started fighting again,” Mikey acknowledged.  “They both have some kind of control issue.  Leo seems to want full control . . . .”  He stopped talking and frowned.  “You know what?  Raph didn’t really talk like giving it up to Leo was what bothered him.”

            He was quiet for a time, replaying just his brother’s words and ignoring their actions.  Raph clearly had doubts, but did they stem from not wanting to submit?

            “I think Raphie needs to know that Leo cares about him,” Mikey said.  “That Leo isn’t just turned on by the idea of making Raph do what he says.  Raph is really emotional, you know?”

            Mikey thought some more, reviewing the things he knew about his brothers.  Then he went over the times when an encounter with Leo had sent Raph hurrying into the tunnels to masturbate.

            “Raph needs for Leo to be emotional too,” Mikey said, feeling like he’d just had a revelation.  “That’s why Raph gets a boner when Leo yells at him.  Raph needs Leo to be passionate with him.  I’ll bet Raph made him stop ‘cause he thought Leo was getting off more on directing Raph’s reactions than to actually wanting to be with him.”

            Lifting Klunk, Mikey set the cat on his stomach to pet him.  Klunk sat on his brisket and stared at Mikey, blinking slowly to acknowledge that the giant turtle was family.

            Mikey returned the slow blink.  “Thanks for listening, Klunk.  It helps to talk things out.  I’d love to talk to Donny about all of this.  I’ll bet he’d know how to get those two to be honest with each other without it turning into a yelling match.”

           Klunk’s purr felt like an encouragement.  The cat’s eyes closed.

            “I know you think so too, but I can’t drag Don into this,” Mikey said.  “He already does so much for us, it wouldn’t be fair to burden him with something else.  It’s bad enough that I can’t even be close to him now without getting all weird.”

            The cat shifted positions, stretching one leg out so he could rest his head on it.

            “You’re right, I’m too tired to think straight,” Mikey said, following the statement with a yawn.  Klunk’s warmth was lulling him to sleep, helped along by his recent orgasm.  “I’ll . . . _yawn_ . . . see what happens tomorrow.”

            He fell asleep without bothering to turn out the lights.

            Mikey dreamt about lizards crawling on him, especially the lower half of his body.  They kept nudging the entrance under his tail and teasing the area where his cock was hidden.

            When Mikey looked up, he saw Don leaning against his bedroom wall, a lizard controller in one hand.

            _“Do you like that, Mike?  Would you like me to take their place?”_ dream Don asked.

            _“Yes, yes, please,”_ Mike pleaded.

            _“I don’t know, you’ve been rather naughty,”_ dream Don said.  He pushed off from the wall and came closer.

            Mike’s dick was throbbing.  It was out, it was hard, and a lizard was mouthing the side of his shaft.

            _“I can be good.  Tell me how to be good,”_ Mikey replied in desperation.

            “You already know,” dream Don said, standing next to Mike’s bed.  He reached out towards Mike’s cock . . . .

            . . . . the alarm sounded at the exact same moment that Mikey ejaculated.

            “Oh shell,” Mikey murmured shakily.

            Thankfully, Klunk was no longer on the bed, probably disturbed by Mikey’s thrashing. 

            Reaching for the box of tissues on his bedside table, Mikey began to clean himself off, and then sat up.

            “I am so screwed,” Mikey muttered.

            He could still vividly remember the dream, remember that Don had been about to touch his penis, and how good it felt to have the lizards crawling on him.

            “Crap!” Mikey yelped, jumping out of bed.  Lizard!

            He’d left a mechanical lizard clinging to Leo’s wall and one of the few working controllers stuffed in the hamper.  He was dead.  Surely Don would have missed those things by now.  He was so dead.

            For a moment he contemplated hiding in the bedroom the whole day.  But that wasn’t an option, Master Splinter would send one of his brothers to get him, and with his luck, it would be Donatello.

            Maybe if he stalled a few minutes everyone would be in the dojo and he could run into Leo’s room to grab the lizard.  A few seconds spent in retrieving the controller, and then a quick sprint to the service bay to replace the borrowed items.  Perhaps Don would think he’d just mislaid them.

            That plan went awry as soon as Mikey stepped out of his room.  His entire family was gathered next to the tide pool.

            “Michelangelo, if you would be so good as to join us,” Master Splinter said, his head upturned to observe his son.

            “Coming, Sensei,” Mikey said.  “Um, quick stop in the bathroom and I’ll be right there.”

            He heard grumbles but didn’t bother trying to identify who’d made them because he was already running.  In the bathroom he did a quick job of freshening up and then checked on the controller, half surprised to find it still there.  Mikey had kind of expected Don would have implanted some sort of tracking device in the thing.

            When he did not receive a rebuke from Master Splinter, Mikey guessed that he’d moved fast enough.  He joined the lineup, standing next to Leo.  This morning he did not have to jockey with Raph for that position, because the hot head was standing as far from the leader as he could get.

            That placed Mikey next to Don as well.  A quick glance to the side showed him that Don’s entire focus was on their father.  Thereafter, Mikey made certain that his total attention was on Master Splinter too.

            It turned out that the training session was to be all about balance.  Mikey cringed inside.  The last time they’d had balance training in the pool, they’d had to try to knock each other off the rocks.  Considering the current atmosphere, Mikey was afraid they’d all get wet just trying to pull Leo and Raph off of each other before one of them got drowned.

            Fortunately, Master Splinter had a different idea in mind.  He’d had Don install a hydrant next to the pool and then attach a hose to it.  As each of his sons traversed the pool, hopping from rock to rock, Master Splinter would hit them with a hard spray from said hose.  Since he blindfolded them, the turtles had no way of knowing when they were going to be hit by water.

            Of course, they all took a tumble, except for Leo.  Even when the jet hit him in mid-jump, Leo somehow managed to flip with the momentum and land safely.

            Under normal circumstances, Raph would have muttered something unkind under his breath, like the usual ‘teacher’s pet’.  Today he kept his mouth shut, not even looking at Leo.

            Mikey made it through one time without being knocked from his perch.  When he reached safety, Don patted him on the shell and said, “Good job, Mikey!”

            That little bit of encouragement made Mikey feel ten feet tall.  He was floating on air by the time practice was called for the day.  The praise was amazing all by itself, but to Mikey it also meant that Don hadn’t noticed that his brother had swiped anything.

            When they separated, Master Splinter went to his room and Don to his computer station.  Neither Leo nor Raph paid any mind to each other.  Raph went up to his room and Leo sat on the couch to watch television.

            The field was wide open, the decks all cleared.  Those idioms ran through Mikey’s brain as he made a beeline for the bathroom.

            Closing and locking the door behind him, Mikey retrieved the controller.  Before opening the door again, he listened carefully to make certain no one was nearby.

            As Mikey opened the door, he spotted Leo moving past Don.  _“Shell, he’s going to his room.  I’ll have to grab the lizard later,”_ Mikey thought.

             But Leonardo did not go to his bedroom.  Bunching his legs under him, Leo leapt high, landing lightly on the catwalk between Raph and Mikey’s rooms.

            Mikey watched him walk to Raph’s door, turn the knob, and enter without knocking.

            Ducking back into the bathroom, Mikey spent not even a half a second in indecision.  Then he turned the controller on.  Manipulating the mechanical lizard, Mikey moved it out of Leo’s room, up the wall and along the catwalk to Raph’s bedroom.

            He sent it scurrying up near the ceiling, learning from the previous day that it was not only the best spot to see and hear from, but also the place where the lizard was least likely to be trampled.

            As he turned the lizard to adjust its position, Mikey received a huge shock.

            On the wall quite close to his, was another mechanical lizard.

TBC…………..


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 4,902 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both images in this chapter were commissioned from the amazing NeatTea. The second one, below the chapter, is NSFW.  
> 

            “Ya’ heard me, I said get the hell out,” Raph said.

            It took Mikey a moment to shrug off his surprise at seeing the second mechanical lizard.  There was only one other inhabitant of the lair who could be controlling it, and that had to be Donatello.

            There was no possibility that Donny hadn’t seen Mikey’s lizard crawling up next to his.  Either this was as big a shock to Don, or the genius already knew Mikey had borrowed one of his inventions.

            Mikey shook his head.  He’d worry about the implications later.  Right now he wanted to focus on what was happening between Raph and Leo.

            “We need to talk,” Leo said.

            Raph was lying back in his hammock, a motorcycle magazine in his hands.  Mikey had a moment to think how wonderful the picture quality was on the little camera.  Then Raph sat up and tossed the magazine aside.

            “What makes ya’ think there’s anything to talk about?” Raph demanded.

            _“Come on, Leo.  Tell him what he needs to hear,”_ Mikey thought.

            “The way you bolted out of my bedroom, for one thing,” Leo said.

            “Pissed that I left ya’ standing there with your dick in your hand?” Raph asked with a sneer.

            “Can we not do this?” Leo asked.  “Neither of us has to be right or wrong.”

            “Ya’ want to meet in the middle?  Fine.  Let’s start with ya’ telling me what ya’ want from this . . . whatever this is,” Raph said.

            Leo frowned.  “I want us to be together.  Isn’t that what you want?”

            “Together how, Leo?  Just sex or a real relationship?” Raph asked.  “Would ya’ be willing to walk into Master Splinter’s room and tell him about us?”

            “Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?  Sensei’s approval does us no good if we can’t define what we’re committing to,” Leo said.

            “It’s nice to hear ya’ at least say the word ‘commit’,” Raph said, scowling at his brother.  “Not so nice hearing ya’ backpedal away from the idea of talking to dear old dad.”

            “What sense would that make?  How would you suggest I start a conversation with him?” Leo asked.  “Master Splinter, Raph and I are . . . um, we’re . . . actually I don’t know what we are because Raph won’t tell me what’s going on in his head.”

            Raph leaped down from his hammock.  Fists on his hips, he said, “Here’s one thing I’m thinking.  We’ve spent most of the last few years butting heads ‘cause we’re fighting against something inside of us that’s way stronger than a difference of opinion.”

            “I don’t start those fights,” Leo said.

            “Sure ya’ do,” Raph said with a sneer.  “Not all of them, but the ones I start are in reaction to something you’ve done.  Ya’ know how to push my buttons, Leo.  Ya’ have a thing for forcing an issue with me.  Ya’ have a thing for control.  Maybe our bros don’t see it, but I sure as hell do.”

            “And you don’t like being told what to do,” Leo said.  “Even if it’s for your own good.”

            “Who are ya’ to tell me what’s for my own good?” Raph asked.  He lifted a hand, palm outward.  “Don’t bother giving me the ‘I’m the leader’ bullshit ‘cause I know that one by heart.”

            “If you did then you wouldn’t always question my orders,” Leo said.

            “Stop making them orders then maybe I won’t,” Raph countered.  “How about trying a little discussion first?”

            “That makes a lot of sense,” Leo said.  “Why don’t we try that next time we’re in the middle of a battle against forty-odd Foot soldiers?  We’ll _discuss_ what our next move should be just before they cut off our heads.”

            “Why do ya’ always gotta take things to that extreme?” Raph asked.  “I wasn’t talking about holding a debate in the middle of a fucking fight.  I was talking about when we’re here, safe at home, trying to decide our next course of action.”

            “Every time I try that, you push back,” Leo said.  “Your solution to everything is to head straight at our enemies.  You won’t even hear a different sort of plan.”

            “How can ya’ say something like that?  I’ve gone along with plenty of your plans,” Raph said.  He shook his head in frustration.  “How the hell did we get off subject anyway?  Ya’ said ya’ came in here to talk but all it sounds like to me is another rousing lecture on ‘why Raph should do as he’s told’.”

            Mikey was starting to feel just as exasperated as Raph.  Though their normally hot headed brother sounded as though he was ready to express his feelings in a healthy way, Leo was dancing around the subject.

            Leo took a few steps closer to his brother.  “I told you yesterday that I thought that maybe we fought because we were trying to deny certain needs.  You just said almost the same thing.  Isn’t that a place to start?”

            “I also said that this ain’t supposed to be about us looking for a good fuck,” Raph said, putting it as crudely as possible.  “We wanna give each other the high hard one, peachy.  Ya’ wanna get rough, I’m down with that too.  I ain’t exactly vanilla when it comes to the things that get me off.  I like spice in the bedroom.”

            “Then what is our disagreement?” Leo asked.

            “Oh for fuck’s sake, Leo!” Raph exclaimed.  “Like usual, ya’ ain’t hearing me.  What the hell is the basis for . . . ?”

            “Hey, where is everybody?  Yo!  Anybody here?  Guys?”

            Casey Jones.

            Something fell over with a clatter.  Once more, Mikey quickly hid the controller, invoking the name of a few deities who he wished would rain retribution on Casey’s head.

            Mikey exited the bathroom and encountered Casey coming up the stairs.

            “We’re here,” Mikey said.  “Where’s the fire?”

            “Hey Case, good to see ya’,” Raph said, leaping down from the ramp that ran in front of his bedroom.

            Casey and Mikey went up the stairs to the next level to meet Raph.  Don spun around in his chair to greet the man.  Mikey glanced at his brother’s computer screen but all he saw was a bunch of numbers and letters that made no sense to him.  A remote controller for the mechanical lizards was nowhere to be seen.

            Leo joined them, coming up the stairs as though he’d been in his own room.  Mikey had no idea how he’d moved so fast, but it wasn’t the first time Leo had managed that sort of feat.

            “I need some help,” Casey said, looking at Raph.

            “What is it?  Purple Dragons need a beat down?” Raph asked.

            Casey snorted.  “They always need a beat down.  Nah, I just need some help moving into my new place.”

            “What was wrong with your old place?” Mikey asked.  “Did you get kicked out for riding your motorcycle up the stairs again?”

            “I only did that once,” Casey protested.  “Now I walk it up the stairs so it don’t get stolen.”

            “That’s ‘cause ya’ live in a crappy neighborhood,” Raph said.

            “You’re one to talk, buddy,” Casey said, punching Raph in the shoulder.

            “Does this mean you’re moving into a nicer neighborhood?” Don asked.

            Casey crossed his arms.  “As if I’m gonna fork over big bucks for a damn apartment.  No way.  I’ll just help clean up the neighborhood I’m in.”

            “Why are you moving then?” Mikey asked.

            “That does kinda have to do with the Purple Dragons,” Casey said, looking slightly sheepish.  “I try not to stay in one place for too long ‘cause I don’t want them finding me.  They got a bad habit of burning places down.  I ain’t got all that much shit to worry about, but most of the other people in the building do.”

            “If you don’t have much, what do ya’ need help moving?” Raph asked.

            “I’ve got a big ass couch for one thing,” Casey said.  “My weights and bed.  A few other things.  I’d like to take it all in one load.”

            “So ya’ need our moving van,” Raph said.

            “It’d help,” Casey admitted.  “I was gonna borrow April’s van, but it won’t hold everything.  I don’t wanna disturb all of ya’ guys, Raph’s the only muscle I need.”

            Mikey could tell by the way Leo stiffened that he didn’t like that idea.  In fact, Mikey could almost see the wheels turning in Leo’s head.  His big brother probably wondered the same thing Mikey was wondering; if Casey and Raph had cooked this up between them as a way to get Raph out of the lair to do some head bashing.

            Before Leo could say anything, Don jumped in.  “I’ll go with you two,” he said.  “If the new place is like the old one, you’ll need help with the water heater, plumbing, and anything else that’s in disrepair.”

            Casey shrugged.  “Sounds good to me.  I hate bitching to a new landlord about that kinda stuff.”

            Getting up from his chair, Don approached Raph and said, “We need to check that the new control module is functioning properly before we go.  You can help me grab any supplies we might need too.”

            “This’ll be a good test for the van,” Raph said.  “Better than finding out something ain’t working while we’re in emergency mode.  It’d suck to stall out while we’re _running_ from the Foot.”

            The smug glance he sent in Leo’s direction wasn’t missed by Mikey.  He could tell that Leo understood the dig too.

            “You can head over there now, but the actual moving will have to happen after nightfall,” Leo said.  “Don’t take any chances on being seen.”

            “Thanks for stating the obvious, _Leonardo_ ,” Raph said.  “We might not have been able to figure that one out for ourselves.”

            “We’ll be careful,” Don said, tapping the back of Raph’s hand to get him moving.

            Leo frowned at their retreating forms.  When they were out of sight, he turned without a word and headed for Master Splinter’s room.

            “Those two at each other’s throats again?” Casey asked.

            “Yeah,” Mikey said.  He had no intention on elaborating.  This wasn’t something he thought the human would understand.

            Casey seemed to want to talk though.  “I figured that’d happen.  Leo came back from his training all enlightened and Raph had to act like it was no big thing.  I wondered how long he’d be able to keep that up.”

            “We all missed Leo while he was gone,” Mikey said, giving Casey a speculative look.

           Mikey had never thought much about what Raph and Casey discussed when they were together.  Now he realized that having a male friend who was so much like him might mean that Raph treated Casey like a confidant.  He was curious about how much Raph had said to Casey during those two months that Leo was gone.

           If he asked Casey straight out, the man would probably close his yap.  Mikey decided that if could lead him just right, without being too direct, Casey might spill the beans.

            Casey rubbed the back of his head.  “Well sure, I guess ya’ all did, ‘cause he’s your brother.  But ya’ don’t know how Raph was without Leo being here.”

            When he paused, Mikey noticed that his neck was red, a sure sign that Casey was self-conscious.  If Mikey wanted to get more out of him, he’d have to put the human at ease.

            “Have you had lunch yet?” Mikey asked.  “We haven’t had lunch yet.  Wanna help me make some hot dogs?”

            “Sounds good,” Casey said, perking up. 

            He followed Mikey to the kitchen and volunteered to chop up some onions.  Mikey began pulling things from the refrigerator, giving Casey a few minutes to drop his guard.

            “Raph did spend a lot of time training,” Mikey said, broaching the subject again and careful not to look right at Casey.  “You know, punching his bag and working out with Master Splinter.  But Don threw himself into his work too.  He’d even ask Leo questions and then remember he wasn’t here.”

            “It was different for Raph,” Casey insisted.  “He acted tough ‘cause he thought that’s what ya’ guys needed from him.  He had this idea that ya’ needed him to be strong.  But he was hurting way more over Leo being gone than even I would have thought.”

            He finished with the onions and grabbed the jar of pickles.  As he began chopping those up, Mikey tossed the hot dogs into boiling water.

            “Hurting?” Mikey asked.  “Don’t know why, he was the one who was about to come unglued over Leo’s behavior before big bro’ got sent to the Ancient One.”

            “I couldn’t figure that one out either and I told him so,” Casey said.  “Seemed to me that Raph should have been thrilled about Leo getting his head screwed back on straight.”

            “Maybe he just didn’t like the idea of Leo learning something more than the rest of us,” Mikey said offhandedly.

            Mild contradictions seemed to do the trick in getting Casey to talk.  “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t it at all,” Casey said.  “Didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing, Raph was always thinking about Leo.  Never saw him act like that before.  He was a basket case that time when your dad went missing, but hell, he _knew_ where Leo was.  It was almost like he thought Leo might not come back or something.”

            Mikey found that to be interesting.  If Raph really had been that worried about Leo, he’d done a great job of hiding it from the rest of his family.  Other than the behavior Mikey had witnessed, Raph hadn’t seemed different at all.

            Maybe Casey was right, Raph did put on a brave face for his family to keep them from worrying.  Mikey wouldn’t have thought he was that good an actor if he hadn’t seen Raph pretending not to give a crap about anything Leo said.

            The approaching voices of Leo and Master Splinter cut off their gossip session, much to Mikey’s dismay.  It was rare that he was alone with Casey and it probably wouldn’t happen again. 

            Still, Casey had given him something to think about.  When Raph and Leo were arguing earlier, Raph had said that the past few years of head butting were because they were fighting their own feelings.  Years he’d said.

            That meant that if Raph was hurting while Leo was gone and that he also worried Leo wouldn’t ever come home, it was because Raph wanted to be with him even then.  It might even mean that Raph was in love with Leo and had been for a really long time.

            All of that put into perspective the reason for Raph pushing Leo away when they’d started to make out.  Sex with Leo wasn’t Raph’s ultimate goal.

            As the group sat around the table eating hot dogs, Mikey watched Leo. His brother’s expression was as enigmatic as ever and for the first time, Mikey could understand why that bothered Raph. 

           Mikey wondered as to Leo’s reason for wanting Raph to proclaim his thought processes first when it came to what was going on between them.  Raph seemed much more willing to lay himself open, but Leo wasn’t reciprocating.

            _“Maybe he just doesn’t know how,”_ Mikey thought to himself.  _“Or maybe he’s afraid that he’ll forget whatever he learned from the Ancient One and lose control again.”_

           Whatever the reason, Mikey decided he should shift his focus and energies from Raph and start addressing Leo’s issues.

            _“And my own too,”_ Mikey added in his head, glancing at Don.

           His smart brother was sitting between Raph and Casey, having a lively discussion about engines with both of them.  From Mikey’s point of view, Don was staring way too intently at Raph and that did not go over well.

           That second spy lizard was in Raph’s room.  Why it had been there and for how long were questions that Mikey really wanted answers to.  Was it there because Donatello had a thing for Raphael?  It would be way too unfair if it turned out that Leo _and_ Don wanted the same turtle.

           Mikey’s first thought when Don volunteered to go with Raph to Casey’s was that he was playing peacekeeper again.  Leo knew that Don would keep those two out of trouble.

            _“What if he volunteered because he wants to spend time with Raph?”_ Mikey asked himself.

           “Don’t worry about us,” Leo said in response to something he was asked and that Mikey had missed.  “Mikey and I have a new training regimen.  We’ll spend our time in the dojo.”

           Inwardly cursing himself for using that as a way to be alone with Leo, Mikey almost missed the look of surprise that Don sent in his direction.

           “Good for the two of ya’,” Raph said, his tone snarky.  “Think ya’ can turn Mikey into a real fighter so we don’t have to spend the rest of our lives undergrounded?”

           “Hey!” Mikey yelped in protest.  “I’ll have you know I’m the Battle . . . ow!”

           Don had kicked him under the table.  When Mikey shot a dirty look in his direction, Don widened his eyes as a warning.  The message was clear; don’t feed the flames.

           With his lips compressed into a thin line, Mikey knew he appeared petulant, but he didn’t care.  Don wasn’t looking at him anyway, not after getting his point across.

           It was obvious that Don was doing his best to keep Raph calm and that would have been just great if it didn’t make Mikey wonder if he had a hidden agenda.  Don was the only one who could talk Raph down when the hot head was starting to overload.  It was a skill honed through years of practice and something even Master Splinter couldn’t accomplish.  Not when Raph was getting truly worked up.

           They were all pushing back from the table when Don volunteered to wash dishes if Raph would dry.

           “As long as you’re the one getting the dish pan hands,” Raph said with a grin.

           Once more Mikey felt a small flare of jealousy as the pair piled plates together and left.  Then he realized he might have another chance to talk to Casey alone.

           That was spoiled when Leo requested an update from the man on recent gang activity.  Mikey only half listened to them, part of his mind fighting the urge to join Raph and Don so he could keep an eye on them.

           When it was time for Casey, Raph, and Don to depart, Mikey expected Leo to issue another directive about staying out of trouble.  He could tell that Raph was expecting it too, because his expression was thunderous.

           Instead it was Master Splinter who appeared just as the trio were about to climb into the van.

           “Please be safe, my sons.  Mr. Jones.  There are still several hours until sunset,” Master Splinter said.  “I expect that you will all adhere strictly to the task at hand, which is to assist Mr. Jones in moving to a new abode.  Should you somehow encounter trouble, through no action of your own, you will not engage.  Is that clear?”

           “Sure thing, Master Splinter,” Casey answered promptly.

           “Of course, Father,” Don said.

           “Whatever,” Raph snapped.

           “Raphael,” Master Splinter responded sharply.

           Raph’s jaw worked.  It took him a minute, but he finally said, “Yes, Sensei.  It’s crystal clear.”

           His eyes slid from Master Splinter to Leo, the look in them murderous.  Mikey glanced at his oldest brother and saw how complacent he seemed.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Leo had arranged for the parental send-off.

           When the van pulled out of the service bay, Mikey turned around to go back into the lair and immediately noticed that Leo’s entire body language had changed.  He looked crestfallen.

           Master Splinter appeared to see that as well.  He paused on his way to his room and set a hand on Leo’s shoulder.  Neither said anything and Leo didn’t look at him.  Then Master Splinter patted his shoulder and left.

           Leo took a deep breath and released it.  “Come on, Mikey.  Let’s see how much we can accomplish before they get back.”

           The work-out was beyond rigorous.  In fact, it was almost as bad as the practice sessions Leo called just before he left for training with the Ancient One.  That was a sure sign that something was eating at the leader in blue.

           Mikey knew he had to get Leo talking.  If someone didn’t, he’d never open up to Raph and the chances of those two ever mating were doomed.

           “Okay, okay, uncle,” Mikey finally said after his carapace hit the floor for the seventh time.

           Leo was standing over him.  “We keep going until you’ve mastered that move, Michelangelo.”

           Sitting up, Mikey circled his knees with his arms.  “Why don’t we take a quick breather and you can tell me what I’m doing wrong.  I’m just not seeing it.”

           After a second of hesitation, Leo sank down to the floor next to his brother.  “Part of the problem is you’re falling back on your left heel instead of keeping the balls of that foot on the ground.”

           “Kinda hard to do when you’re rushing at me,” Mikey complained.

           “That’s when you employ your counter move,” Leo explained.  “I’m sure you know this, Mikey.”

           “Guess I do,” Mikey said.  He looked at Leo.  “I’m a little distracted.”

           Leo frowned.  “You can’t be distracted in a fight.  You’ll get your shell waxed and not in a good way.  What’s going on in your head?”

            _“Thought you’d never ask,”_ Mikey told himself.  He sighed for effect and said, “I’ve been thinking about how much you and Raph have been fighting lately.  Not just yelling, but I don’t know, like really bitter.”

           “It’s not anything new.  There’s no reason for it to concern you,” Leo said, his face starting to close up.

           “Sorry but it does,” Mikey said quickly.  “I don’t have a huge extended family, I’ve got you guys.  You’re the one who told me that all we have in this life is each other.  I figure that means along with a lot of other stuff, there has to be trust.”

           “I trust you guys with my life,” Leo said.  He looked perplexed.

           To Mikey that was better than him shutting down.  He just had to keep the momentum going.

           “Sure you do,” Mikey said.  “Same goes for me.  I know it’s true for Don and Raph.  But trust is about more than just knowing your brother is watching your back.  It’s knowing they aren’t gonna screw up and showing them that you know it.”

           “Raph has a history of making bad decisions,” Leo argued.

           “Not for a while now and haven’t we all?” Mikey asked.  “Haven’t you made some doozies too?  Do you want Raph to continuously rub Karai in your face?  The only time he does it is when he’s using it as a defense mechanism.”

           “Trust is a two way street,” Leo said.  “So is respect.  Do I get either of those from him?”

           “That’s just childish tit for tat,” Mikey said.  “That’s why you fight.  Stop feeding off each other that way ‘cause it’s just an endless loop.”

           “Not when he acknowledges that I’m in charge,” Leo said.

           “Wow.  Would you listen to yourself?”  Mikey shook his head.  “Like earlier, when you got Master Splinter to tell Raph what not to do.  That tactic was low, bro’.”

           “I didn’t think he’d listen to me,” Leo replied haughtily.

           “Only ‘cause you’d already said the same thing a dozen times,” Mikey said.  “I’m happy you’re so pleased with yourself, but you have to lose that attitude.  All it tells Raph is that you’re toying with him.”

           Leo’s brow was furrowed and Mikey hoped that meant that his words were getting through.  “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

           “Good,” Mikey said, getting to his feet.  “You think.  Talking about Master Splinter made me remember that I’m supposed to do the laundry.  Let me know if you need me to bend an ear.  I’m here for you bro’.”

           If he knew anything about Leo, it was that after you planted a seed in his head, you had to step back and let it grow.  Pushing a point only made him obstinate.

           With the others gone and Leo in the dojo, Mikey saw his chance to retrieve the equipment he’d borrowed from Donny.  Taking the stairs quickly, he grabbed the entire hamper from the bathroom and then went up to Raph’s bedroom.

           The only times they were allowed into a brother’s room while said brother wasn’t there was to pick up their dirty laundry.  Raph kept a basket next to the door where he tossed his dirty linens and gear.

           Looking up, Mikey saw the mechanical lizard he’d sent into the room, but the second one wasn’t there.  He couldn’t spend much time in the room for fear that Leo or Master Splinter would notice, but a quick check proved that the lizard was nowhere to be found.

           Leaping high, Mikey snatched his spy lizard off the wall.  Tossing it into the hamper, he dumped the contents of Raph’s basket on top and fled the room.

           Once he’d gotten the laundry from all of the bedrooms, including his father’s, Mikey made a beeline for the service bay.  The hamper was fairly heavy, but he couldn’t empty it until he’d returned the two items guaranteed to get him into trouble if he was caught with them.

           Turning back the tarp, Mikey dug out the lizard and controller and put them back where he’d found them. Lifting the tarp higher, Mikey counted the number of complete lizards on the table.  There were five.  That accounted for all of them.

           Dropping the tarp back into place, Mikey snatched up the hamper and walked back to the space that served as their laundry room.  While he sorted the dirty items into piles, he thought about this newest puzzle.

           He had not seen Don with a controller earlier.  He hadn’t even seen or heard Don leave his computer station, and when Casey had shown up, Don was still in the same spot.

           If Donatello wasn’t controlling the second lizard, then who was?

           Mikey pondered that question until his head started to hurt.  It was still on his mind a few hours later when Raph and Don returned, having left Casey to settle into his new apartment.

           It was Raph’s turn to cook and he got out of it by bringing home take-out food.  The meal was completely informal, the brothers and Master Splinter sat in the living area to watch television as they ate. 

           Raph and Don took turns describing the move and Casey’s new domicile.  Though the overall tone of the family discussion was genial, neither Raph nor Leo would look at each other.

           Leo was the first to turn in for the night.  Soon afterwards Master Splinter bid them a good-night and left for his bed.

           When Don yawned, Raph told him to get some shut-eye as well.  Apparently there had been a few necessary repairs to make Casey’s apartment habitable and the genius was exhausted.

           Mikey helped Raph clear up the few things they’d dirtied and then Raph announced that he too was calling it quits and going to sleep.

           Left to his own devices, Mikey stared speculatively at Donatello’s bedroom door.  His mind was in turmoil over the mystery of the vanishing lizard and whether Don had feelings for Raph.

           Waiting around and letting stuff eat at his brain wasn’t Mikey’s way.  He decided to talk to Don, to admit to swiping the lizard.  He didn’t have to say exactly what he’d used the lizard for, he could just say he’d taken it for a test spin around the lair.

           Hopefully, that would open the door for Don to tell him a few things.  Granted, Don could be secretive, but Mikey was nothing if not persistent.

           Reaching Don’s bedroom door, Mikey lifted his hand to knock and then heard a sound that made him pause.  Leaning closer, he listened.

            _“I think I like you this way.”_

            _“Always got to win, don’t ya?  Always got to prove something.”_

           Mikey straightened in shocked disbelief.  That was a recording of what had happened between Leo and Raph the day before.

           Trying the door knob, Mikey found that it wasn’t locked.  Carefully, he eased the door open enough so that he could peek inside.

           Don’s computer desk was against the right side wall, near the entrance.  The room was dark other than the gleam from one computer screen.  On that was a video playback of what Mikey had watched in real time; Leo pinning Raph to the floor.

           Leaning back in his computer chair was Donatello, his eyes glued to the screen.  Sweat droplets gleamed on his face and arms and his legs were spread wide.

           The fingers of one hand dug into the chair’s arm.  Mikey stopped breathing when he saw where Don’s other hand was.  His brother was jerking off to the video, his cock hard in his hand, precum dribbling from the tip.

           Mikey knew that he should move, but he absolutely could not.  The sight was mesmerizing.

TBC………………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.  
> Word Count: 3,842 Multi-chapter 2k3  
> Summary: Something has changed in Raphael's treatment of Leonardo. It's obvious enough to arouse Michelangelo's curiosity. The discovery of that secret forever alters the Turtles' lives.  
> Rated: NC-17 Turtlecest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Another amazing preview image commissioned from the very talented NeatTea.  
> 

            When his eyes started to burn, Mikey realized that he needed to blink.

            He did so quickly, afraid of missing something.  His interest wasn’t in the recording on Donatello’s computer screen, it was on Donatello himself.

            Head back, mouth open, Don continued to masturbate, his hand moving ever faster.  His eyes were closed to mere slits but they never left the screen.

            Though the sight was enticing, it was the sounds that stirred the fire in Mikey’s gut.  Don was churring, the call of sensual pleasure causing Mikey’s barely hidden erection to throb.

            When the recorded scene reached the part where Leo’s hand disappeared between Raph’s legs, Don groaned long and low before climaxing.

            That was all Mikey could take.  Somehow he managed to close the door without making a sound and then he bolted for his room.

            Pushing the door to as he rushed inside, Mikey didn’t bother trying to reach his bed.  His carapace hit the wall and he slid down to the floor, his cock already clutched in one tight fist.

            Eyes shut so that he wouldn’t lose the visual of Donatello masturbating, Michelangelo began to do so as well.  There were no thoughts in his head, only a visual and auditory playback that was so erotic Mikey could feel himself peaking rapidly.

            He didn’t hear his door hinges squeak, too lost in his fantasy.  However, the snap of the lock did catch his attention.

            Mikey jerked his head up so fast that it hit the wall and his eyes flew open.  Standing a few feet in front of him was Donatello.

            Shocked, Mikey stopped moving to gape at his brother.  Don stared back at him, his gaze intense.

            “Keep going, Mike,” Don ordered, speaking in a deeper voice than Mikey had ever heard him use.  “You watched me, I think it’s my turn.  Make it good.”

            Michelangelo’s cock was crying for attention.  Precum dripped from the head to roll over his clenched fingers and there was a deep ache within his loins that refused to be ignored.  He had never viewed himself as an exhibitionist when it came to his carnal side, but Donatello’s gaze was hypnotic.

            Very slowly, Mikey began to jack off again.  As his hand moved, sliding up and down on his slick shaft, he watched Don.  His brother’s brown eyes seemed to glitter, his focus completely on the younger turtle.

            He didn’t know what came over him but having such undivided attention motivated Mikey to go further.  Making a show of it, he stuck a finger from his free hand into his mouth and sucked on it, opening his mouth so that Don could see how his tongue lapped at the digit.

Mikey then slipped his hand down over his plastron, his nails producing a sensuous scraping sound.  Don took a step closer as Mikey’s hand drifted past his stiff cock to his tail.

            Hand working feverishly to pump his dick, Mikey began to quiver.  Caressing the underside of his tail with his thumb, Mikey moved the wet finger toward his bunghole.

            Donatello gasped, his breathing growing harsh.  His own cock had dropped down sometime during Mikey’s lewd show and Don began jacking off.

            Very slowly, Mikey pushed his finger into his ass.  Breaching himself that way was an alien feeling and he had to fight against the protective tightness around his entrance.  Having Don totally concentrated on everything he was doing, seeing how turned on his brother was at such a lascivious performance, spurred Mikey to continue.

            “Do . . . nny . . . .” Mikey stammered, the staccato tapping of his shell against the wall reminiscent of a telegraph machine.

            He raised one knee, planting his foot on the ground nearer his body.  This lifted his butt higher, affording Don a better view of Mikey’s finger as it disappeared into his asshole.

            “Mike!” Don cried out in appreciation at the sight.

            “Umm . . . .” Mikey moaned, drawing a churr from his brother.

            The pair never stopped looking at one another as they masturbated, their hands moving almost in unison.  Their heavy breathing and churrs, the slick sounds of fists sliding over cum wet skin filled the room around them.

            Mikey’s toes curled suddenly, the pressure in his groin sweeping into one tight knot at the base of his cock.  He shoved his finger in as far as it would go and felt his asshole clench around it.

            “I’m . . . ahh!”  Mikey’s entire body jerked when his orgasm hit, cum spraying out to splatter the lower half of his body and both of his hands.

            Don groaned long and low before biting his bottom lip and climaxing too.  His jizz splashed the floor between his legs and coated his hand as he continued to pump his cock until it was empty.

            Both brothers were breathing hard, chests rising and falling rapidly as they stared at each other.  Then Don walked towards Mikey to kneel between his now outstretched legs.

            “H . . . how . . . .?” Mikey stuttered, not sure what to ask first.

            Rather than answer, Don reached out to cup Mikey’s chin, his thumb just below his brother’s lip.  Pulling down lightly parted Mikey’s lips and Don leaned in to kiss him, sliding his tongue into his brother’s mouth after a couple of seconds.

            If Mikey hadn’t just cum, he was pretty sure that kiss would have made him hard again.  A feeling stirred in Mikey’s chest, like his heart had just suddenly grown to a point where his body couldn’t contain it.

            He started a hand for Don but his brother broke the kiss to sit back.  Mikey moaned at the loss of contact and made as if to move forward, but Don’s hand on his chest stopped him.

            “I wish I had recorded that,” Don said, his voice still guttural.  “I’ve never seen you look more enticing.”

            “Dude,” Mikey breathed out.  “That was awesome.”  His expression turned questioning.  “How’d you know I was watching you?”

            “There’s a tiny camera above my bedroom door,” Don answered simply.  “I always know what’s going on in and around my room.”

            “Figures,” Mikey said, wanting to kick himself for not realizing his security paranoid brother might do something like that.  Then he remembered what he’d seen.  “You had a video of Leo and Raph.  Where’d that come from?”

            Don chuckled.  “As if you didn’t know.  After all, you were the one who sent the robotic lizard in there to spy on them.”

            “But I didn’t know it was going to record anything,” Mikey protested.

            “I designed them to auto record anytime they are activated,” Don explained.  “As soon as I showed you my project I realized you might ‘borrow’ one of the devices.”

            “Did you know . . . I mean . . . .”  Mikey rubbed the back of his head and then grimaced when he felt how sticky his hand was.  “Leo and . . . and Raph . . . um, me . . . could you tell . . . how long . . . .”

            “Mike, stop,” Don said with a small smile, placing the tip of a finger against his brother’s lips.  It was all Mikey could do to resist licking it.  “One question at a time.  Ask me the one you most want to know the answer to first.”

            The words came spilling out.  “Did you know I was starting to feel things for you?  Like, not brother things?”

            “I had an inkling, yes,” Don said, gently caressing the side of Mikey’s face.

            “How?” Mikey asked.  “I mean, I didn’t even know.  Not really.  Not until . . . .”  He paused, thinking back to when he’d first started noticing, really noticing, Donatello.

            “Until when?” Don prompted.  When Mikey hesitated, Don looked slightly amused.  “Was it when you became aware of the change in how Leo and Raph were behaving with each other?”

            “You noticed it too, right?  Beyond them just fighting more for dumber reasons?  ‘Cause you acted like you didn’t,” Mikey said.

            “No, I acted like I didn’t want them to fight because I don’t,” Don corrected.  “I did notice the fighting and it wasn’t hard to figure out why.”

            Mikey pouted.  “I didn’t know until I started following Raph to see where he was going after their fights.”

            Shaking his head, Don said, “Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t until you began snooping that I came to question their emotional shift.  Your curiosity drew my attention to the frequency of their fights.  After that I analyzed their behavior and my knowledge of our basic turtle instincts to assign a cause to their frequent battles.”

            “You would be proud of me,” Mikey said, brightening.  “I made notes of my observations, formed some ideas, and then tested my ideas by experimenting.  That’s what you always say to do.”

            “Setting aside the fact that you used that scientific approach on your brothers, I _am_ proud of you,” Don said, looking amused.  “I’ve always known that you were a lot smarter than you let on.”

            “Uh, thank you, I think,” Mikey responded.  “Wait, is that what you like about me?”

            “That amongst other things,” Don admitted.

            Mikey preened under his gaze.  “I am the total package.”  He sobered quickly.  “You like Raph too, don’t you?”

            “Not in the way you mean,” Don said.  “What makes you say that?”

            “’Cause you’re always hanging out with him,” Mikey said.  “You guys talk, you know, like real conversations and stuff.  You do things together and Raph never gets mad at you.”

            Don snorted.  “He gets mad at me.  There are plenty of things I tell him that he doesn’t want to hear.”

            “But he listens anyway,” Mikey insisted.  “When you guys are working on stuff, he gets really close to you, like touching close.  That’s gotta mean he likes you.  Since you don’t move away, that means you like it too.  Do you have a thing for Raph?  Like a kind of thing that makes you want to do what you just did with me?”

           “No, Mike. When the mating instinct hit me, my first and only thought was of you,” Don said.  “The only instances of physical closeness you could have observed between Raph and I was likely due to our work space being too small for us to be very far apart.”

           Mikey frowned.  “Dude, am I the last one to get hit by this mating instinct thing?  Raph and Leo were at each other’s throats way before I started investigating and you already knew about basic turtle whatsis.”

           Don stroked a palm down Mikey’s throat and across his shoulder, his eyes following the route his hand was taking.  “You aren’t the last.”  His eyes came back up to meet Mikey’s.  “You identified what you were experiencing and associated it with me, didn’t you?”

           “Yeah,” Mikey answered slowly, waiting for Don to tell him more.

           “Raph and Leo haven’t acknowledged anything,” Don said.  “Not from what I’ve seen.”

           “Geez Donny, they wrestled each other to the floor so they could start groping and kissing,” Mikey said, as if stating something clearly obvious.  “You saw it.”

           “I’ve seen it twice, actually.  I also saw them stop and argue about what they were doing,” Don said.  “Before Casey showed up like a raging bull, I also watched the two of them dance around their feelings and argue in circles.”

           “Oh right!  That’s another reason I thought you had the hots for Raph ‘cause you put a lizard in his room,” Mikey stated triumphantly.  He would have moved to emphasize his point, but he liked the feeling of Don’s hand exploring the contours of his body.

           “Have you been feeling jealous, Mike?” Don asked as his fingers glided over Mikey’s collarbones.  He stopped to lean closer, making Mikey’s breath catch.  “Don’t deny it because I recognize the signs.  I experienced them during every moment you spent special time with Leo.”

           Mikey’s eyes widened.  “You thought I liked Leo and I thought you wanted Raph.  Hanging out with him, lizard in his room, getting him to talk stuff out when no one else can . . . .”

           “None of that is new, other than the lizard,” Don said.  “For your edification, I had Raph’s permission before I deployed it to his room.”  He raised his hand to stop Mikey’s next question.  “No, I didn’t tell him about the robotic lizards, you’re still the only one who knows about them.  What I told him was that I was working on new surveillance equipment and that I needed him to tell me if he noticed it.  Raph was quite aware that it could be anywhere.”

           “That’s kinda underhanded though, don’t you think?” Mikey asked.  “I mean, he wouldn’t think that your spy stuff was gonna be crawling around on four legs.  He wouldn’t notice something so small unless it was a bug.”

           “I’ll concede that he either thought I wouldn’t invade his room or that he forgot something might be watching him as soon as Leo walked in,” Don said.

           “You recorded it anyway,” Mikey said.

           “Yes I did,” Don acknowledged.  “It seems that you and I have something in common.  We both like to know what’s going on and . . . .”

           “We both like to watch,” Mikey said, finishing the sentence for him.

           Don reached up to cup his cheek and Mikey leaned into his touch.  “That’s another thing I’ve always loved about you, Mike.  You’ll talk things through and you listen.  You don’t get defensive.”

           “Raph sure does,” Mikey said.  “Leo does too, in different ways.  It’s like they both expect to get attacked at any moment.”

           “Which is why they aren’t connecting, not in the way they really need to.  Neither one is willing to lower their guard.”  Don grew thoughtful.  “Mike, during your experimental period, were you meaning to make them mad and then to make them jealous?”

           “Both,” Mikey confessed.  “I was mostly working on Raph.  The first thing I wanted to know was if he only got turned on after arguing with Leo, or if fighting with anyone would do the trick.  By the way, he only gets hot and bothered over Leo.”

           “I take it that after you determined that you then decided to try and make him jealous to see if he’d act on his desires,” Don said.

            “Yep, totally,” Mikey squirmed when Don’s hand left his face.  “I never thought about either of them the way I think about you.  Honestly, Donny.  I even like the way you call me ‘Mike’.  It’s like a private thing between us ‘cause hardly anyone calls me that.”

           “You do realize that we can’t be together openly until Leo and Raph resolve their conflict,” Don said.

           “Why?”  Mikey wanted to reach for Don again, but his brother stood up.  The sense of loss was immediate, so Mikey rose too.  He didn’t want to seem to be pleading, but he couldn’t help the tone that crept into his voice.  “Maybe if they see how good we are together they’ll kiss and make up.”

           “They won’t,” Don said.  “You know them.  How would they react, really?  Think about it, think about what they’ve been saying to each other.”

           He waited as Mikey reasoned it through.  It took a couple of minutes to sift over the past weeks’ worth of conversations, fights, and actions.

           Don nodded when Mikey looked up at him, a gleam of understanding in his eyes.

           “They’d get resentful, wouldn’t they?” Mikey asked.  “Like feeling as if they got together it’d only be ‘cause they were obligated to or something.  Or that they were copycatting us.”

           “There would always be a question in the backs of their minds as to whether the other was with them for the right reasons,” Don said.  “They have enough trust issues as it is.”

           “So let’s get them together,” Mikey said.  “I’ve kinda already been trying, but if both of us were . . . .”

           “It has to seem as though it was their idea, Mike,” Don said.

           “That’s cool.  I get that.  I mean, I’ve already been trying to be subtle about it.  I even came up with a code name.  I’m calling it ‘Operation Sex’,” Mikey said.

           “A different name might be better,” Don said indulgently.  “Those two having sex isn’t really the ultimate goal.”

           “It is part of the goal though, right,” Mikey asked, his tone hopeful.

           Don grinned.  “You want to watch them, don’t you?”

           Mikey flashed a brilliant smile of his own.  “It is pretty hot.  I wanna watch us do it too.  You did say you wished you’d recorded us, Donny.”

           “I’ll do it next time,” Don said, moving in to wrap his arms around Mikey and kiss him.

           Grabbing onto Don’s biceps, Mikey kissed back for all he was worth.  His body felt as though it was melting into his brother’s and it was warm and inviting there.  Their tongues glided together and Mikey lost himself to the sensation, his whole being in that moment belonging completely to Donatello.

           Mikey didn’t want to let go when Don finally separated from him.  “Could next time be right now?” he asked hopefully.

           “It’s getting late,” Don said with real regret in his voice.  “If we did anything more, there’s a good chance we’d fall asleep together and have a lot of questions to answer in the morning.  We should both take a shower to get our scent off of each other.”

           Perking up, Mikey asked, “Shower together?”

           “You’re incorrigible,” Don said, chuckling.  “Still not a good idea.  You go first.  I’ll clean your floor while you’re gone.  It wouldn’t do to leave any tell-tale signs of our activities.”

           “Okay,” Mikey said.  “But I’m not gonna be able to keep my hands off of you for very long.”

           “First chance we get we’ll try something new,” Don said.  “How does that sound?”

           “Awesome!” Mikey chirped as he headed for the door.

           “Wait a second,” Don said, making Mikey spin around immediately.  “We have another obstacle to overcome for both us and for Leo and Raph.  Master Splinter.”

           “Yeah, I’ve kinda thought about that too,” Mikey said.  “You heard Raph bring it up to Leo and how fearless leader reacted.  Master Splinter told me he thinks there’s more going on with them than just their usual disagreements.”

           “You talked to Master Splinter about them?” Don asked, surprised.

           “More like he talked to me,” Mikey said.  “He said he’d appreciate feedback on any insights I might have.  His words.”

           Don’s brow furrowed.  “What did you say?”

           “I was honest and said I didn’t know anything useful,” Mikey answered.  “At the time I didn’t.  Not sure I do now either, at least nothing on how to deal with the head-butting those two are doing.”

           “Since you’ve already got an open line of communication with Sensei, then you’ll have to be our conduit to him,” Don said.  “This could get tricky for all of us if he disapproves.”

           “You don’t think he would, do you?” Mikey asked, suddenly struck by that harrowing thought.

           “I truly don’t know,” Don said.  “This is uncharted territory.  To me it’s completely logical that we weren’t going to be merely brothers forever.  While we can appreciate the human form, nature dictates that our deepest attraction will be for our own kind.”

           “There’s exactly four of those,” Mikey said.  “But Donny, I’m pretty sure Master Splinter doesn’t think about sex, so how do we explain any of this to him?”

           “Have you met Master Splinter?” Don countered, shaking his head.  He waved in the general direction of the living area with its TV array.  “Those shows of his are thinly disguised sex romps.  Everybody is always sleeping with everybody else.”

           “Those characters are all human,” Mikey said.  “They aren’t his sons.”

           “If you’ll remember my dear Mike, Dad was the one who insisted we have lessons about the birds and the bees when we were younger,” Don said.  “He made a point of talking about how our own bodies work and how it was normal for us to get erections.”

           “Oh I remember all right,” Mikey said, grinning.  “You were helping him give that talk and both Leo and Raph looked like they were gonna have fits.  I missed part of that lecture ‘cause I was watching them and wondering which one would blow a gasket first.”

           “I’m fairly certain some of the reason for that talk was because he knew we’d get curious and might start experimenting with each other,” Don said.  “Maybe he thought he could head it off.  I don’t know and I think we need to if we want to smooth the way for not only Leo and Raph, but for us too.”

           “I’m open to suggestions,” Mikey said.

           “Choose your words carefully and lead him,” Don said.  “Feel him out the way you normally do when you want something and you think he’ll say no.”

           Mikey made a face.  “The problem with that is he still does say no.”

           “Has that ever mattered?” Don asked.  “Don’t you usually talk him around?”

           “May~be,” Mikey said, not wanting to commit himself.

           Don walked across the room to touch Mikey’s arm.  “I’m with you the whole way, Mike.  If you’re too uncomfortable with trying to ease Master Splinter into accepting what we want to have together, then we’ll think of another way to get him on board.”

           Mikey took the opportunity to plant another quick kiss to Don’s lips.  “Nah, I can do it,” he said.  “The trick is not to think too hard on what I want to say and just let the words flow.  Like you said, I listen.  Gotta do that if you want to get inside someone’s head.”

           “You’re inside mine.”  Don tapped his chest.  “You’re in here too.  I love you, Michelangelo.”

           “I love you too, Donatello,” Mikey replied.

           “Better go,” Don whispered, looking at Mikey with longing.

           Mikey sighed.  “Guess so.  Don’t wanna spoil everything by being caught together.”

           Somehow Mikey found the wherewithal to open the door and leave the room.  During his shower, all he could think about was Don and how amazing it felt to be in a relationship with him.

           He’d always been drawn to Donny but had never questioned why.  Now he knew and it was like the universe had opened up to divulge all of its secrets.  Mikey wanted to sing at the top of his lungs and only just managed to restrain himself.

           When he got back to his room, it was both clean and empty.  Not really empty; all of his clutter was still scattered around, but it felt empty without Don.

           Mikey crawled into bed, suddenly very tired.  Hugging a pillow to his chest, he imagined it was Donatello.

           Knowing that wouldn’t happen until Leo and Raph pulled their heads out of their asses strengthened Mikey’s resolve.  He’d get those two together or die trying.

TBC………..


End file.
